Blairing the peace message

Before Tony Blair and New Labour ended 16 years of Tory rule in Britain a year ago, there was little expectation that the party…

Before Tony Blair and New Labour ended 16 years of Tory rule in Britain a year ago, there was little expectation that the party would do much for Ireland. Indeed, it was often said of Blair that the North was so far down his agenda it had fallen off the bottom.

Not surprisingly, his first half year in office did little to change this view. The all-party talks trundled along, the rowing was in full swing and there was no ceasefire.

Once the talks deadline was set, however, he and the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam, put their all into getting an agreement with both Sinn Fein and the main unionists on the same ticket, so that this deal, unlike previous ones, would stick. But would we have had any deal if Ian Paisley and Bob McCartney had not walked out last year over decommissioning? By leaving, they lost a ready-made media platform and an opportunity to wreck the process. It is said in informed circles in Belfast that a major element in David Trimble's decision to stay in the talks was to see off his two rivals.

Now, the achievement of peace in Ireland is higher on the British government's agenda than it has been for many years. Blair came to Belfast at Easter to push heads together and he was back again this week with his predecessor, John Major, to campaign for a Yes vote in the referendum. The Yes campaign should win, although the DUP's Peter Robinson is already arguing that if 26 per cent vote No it will mean more unionists are against the agreement than for it. But since when was Ireland used for promotion in a British election? Not recently, anyway. Yet this week the British Labour party election broadcast for Thursday's local elections, (mainly a monologue from the PM), went so far as to show Blair and the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, shaking hands on the Belfast Agreement last month. The broadcast concentrated on health issues, but Northern Ireland played its part and Mo Mowlam was the only minister to get a lookin. Is it possible that for the first time the North will enhance a ministerial image and be a stepping stone to advancement rather than a ministerial quagmire?