Ian Paisley gives praise to Margaret Thatcher, writes GERRY MORIARTY
THE SUN shone on the huge Stormont estate in east Belfast yesterday as Assembly members attended their last full plenary session before the third Assembly is dissolved at midnight tonight.
As was noted by the outgoing father of the house, the Rev Ian Paisley, not only was this Assembly the first of the post Belfast Agreement assemblies to run to full term since 1998 but the first elected Stormont body since 1972 to complete its four-year mandate.
He is one of several politicians including former and current leaders such as Reg Empey, Mark Durkan and Gerry Adams who now ply their trade elsewhere; Durkan in the House of Commons, Empey in the House of Lords and Adams in Leinster House.
Mr Adams hasn’t gone away, you know. On Monday, he gathered his TDs and MLAs at Parliament Buildings for a demonstration of all-Ireland Sinn Féin strength, although he observed protocol by requesting permission to speak from Martin McGuinness when he addressed reporters in the great hall.
Dr Paisley was in benign, politically incorrect form yesterday. It was 41 years since he was first elected to Stormont and over that time he dealt with a “few” US presidents, a “number” of taoisigh and “several” British prime ministers.
“Thank God only one of them was a female, the rest of them were males,” he said; adding, however, when he heard some murmurings around the chamber: “Well, she was a very clever woman; she was mightier at her task than any man I have seen in that office in my day.”
Some praise indeed for Margaret Thatcher who signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement, so hated by unionists.
The level of cordiality was almost overpowering.
Martin McGuinness said it was an “honour” to work with Dr Paisley and Peter Robinson. People could have whatever views they liked about his and Paisley’s past but, he added, they were politicians “who live in the here and now and for the future”.
First Minister Peter Robinson was also in mellow mood. He offered contrition for any harsh words he uttered about others in the chamber in the past four years. “For those in other parties, in case I don’t see them again, if in the heat of battle I have said something that has hurt or offended them, let me apologise and hope the wounds will heal.”