Ireland

Ian Paisley calls himself the “Leader of the Ulster People”. By that he means, leader of the Protestant-Unionist 56 per cent, or thereabouts, of the people living in the Six Counties. Now Paisley looks set to form a Six-County coalition government in partnership with Sinn Fein-IRA. Paisley is capable of shying away when the moment comes to take the big jump. But all the signs suggest that the “Leader of the Ulster People” is, at the age of 81, about to become First Minister of Northern Ireland, with Martin McGuinness as his Deputy in name and co-equal in practice. Will this mean general, long...

By John O’Mahony Ian Paisley calls himself the "Leader of the Ulster People". By that he means, leader of the Protestant-Unionist 56 per cent, or thereabouts, of the people living in the 6-Counties. Now Paisley looks set to form a 6-County coalition government in partnership with Sinn Fein-IRA. Paisley is capable of shying away when the moment comes to take the big jump. But all the signs and insider reports suggest that the "Leader of the Ulster People" is, at the age of 81, about to become First Minister of Northern Ireland, with Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein as his Deputy in name and co...

Contents Introduction (2007) Session one: The issues stated Session two: a foothold for imperialism? Session three: Ireland, "permanent revolution", and imperialism Session four: Two Nations? Session five:a Provo socialist revolution? Appendix: a way to workers' unity? A debate from Socialist Organiser, 1983 "A way to workers’ unity?" by John O’Mahony. (Socialist Organiser 113) In Socialist Organiser no.109 we carried an interview with a Belfast NHS shop steward, Micky Duffy. Duffy, a 'Militant' supporter, argued that the workers' unity in the NHS pay struggle opened the way to political class...

Contents Introduction (2007) Session one: The issues stated Session two: a foothold for imperialism? Session three: Ireland, "permanent revolution", and imperialism Session four: Two Nations? Session five:a Provo socialist revolution? Session six: A discussion with Donal R, part 2 Appendix: a way to workers' unity? Session 5: The “Advanced Theory of Permanent Revolution”: A Provo Socialist Revolution? Jackie: Wait a minute. Let me answer the door. One other person is expected for this last session. (Jackie goes to the door and returns followed by a tall bearded man in a long overcoat looking...

Contents Introduction (2007) Session one: The issues stated Session two: a foothold for imperialism? Session three: Ireland, "permanent revolution", and imperialism Session four: Two Nations? Session five:a Provo socialist revolution? Session six: A discussion with Donal R, part 2 Appendix: a way to workers' unity? Session four: Two Nations? Tony: All this talk about me having a fetish of armed struggle! But you haven't dealt with my real point: autonomy is a reformist solution, it's a programme for a settlement imposed from above by imperialism. Mick: The person who would opt for reform or a...

Contents Introduction (2007) Session one: The issues stated Session two: a foothold for imperialism? Session three: Ireland, "permanent revolution", and imperialism Session four: Two Nations? Session five:a Provo socialist revolution? Session six: A discussion with Donal R, part 2 Appendix: a way to workers' unity? Session three: Ireland, Permanent revolution and Imperialism Anne-Marie: The problem with you people is that you reject Permanent Revolution for Ireland. You don't understand the centrality of the National Question for Ireland. You think that the bourgeois democratic revolution is...

Contents Introduction (2007) Session one: The issues stated Session two: a foothold for imperialism? Session three: Ireland, "permanent revolution", and imperialism Session four: Two Nations? Session five:a Provo socialist revolution? Session six: A discussion with Donal R, part 2 Appendix: a way to workers' unity? Session two: Does autonomy mean "a foothold for imperialism"? Tony: Let me try to state my position. The Protestants do have a right to be here. They have a right to be equal citizens. But they do not have a right to retain their sectarian privileges over the Catholics, to retain...

Contents Introduction (2007) Session one: The issues stated Session two: a foothold for imperialism? Session three: Ireland, "permanent revolution", and imperialism Session four: Two Nations? Session five:a Provo socialist revolution? Session six: A discussion with Donal R, part 2 Appendix: a way to workers' unity? Session One: The issues stated and explained. The participants introduced The scene is Belfast in July 1983, on a Saturday, about 10am. A 'Troops Out' delegation has been in Belfast, where it has talked to Republicans on the Falls Road, been to look close up at soldiers on patrol...

The following discussion between Tony Benn and Mark Osborn and Sean Matgamna appeared in Socialist Organiser , 10 September 1994. Tony Benn was the most important left Labour Parliamentarian of the last three decades of the 20th century. He was a member of the Labour Cabinet which put the troops on the streets of Northern Ireland in 1969. He was also a member of the Labour Government, which, in the late 1970s, withdrew the de facto status of political prisoner from jailed Republicans and Loyalists in Northern Ireland. That act triggered the conflict in the jails during which Republican...

Contents Introduction (2007) Session one: The issues stated Session two: a foothold for imperialism? Session three: Ireland, "permanent revolution", and imperialism Session four: Two Nations? Session five:a Provo socialist revolution? Session six: A discussion with Donal R, part 2 Appendix: a way to workers' unity? The decision of the recent Sinn Fein Ard Fheis to recognise and urge support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland removed the last fundamental distinction between the Adams-McGuinness movement and the other constitutional nationalists, the Social Democratic and Labour Party...