The joint chairmen of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body, Michael O'Kennedy and David Winnick, at their meeting in Killarney this week both made speeches of farewell, on behalf of themselves and their colleagues from the two parliaments, the Oireachtas and Westminster, and then hesitated and half withdrew them. The strange progress came about thus. A British general election is expected in May and some (but not Quidnunc) believe that an Irish election may not be far behind. New parliaments mean new backbenchers appointed to the body. Some long-standing members remain, but generally there is a large turnover, as some, such as O'Kennedy, retire, while others lose their seats.
The next meeting of the body will be in Britain in the autumn, Bournemouth or Manchester, but many of those in Killarney feared they might not make it, hence the farewells. O'Kennedy listed Peter Brooke, Maria Fyfe, Norman Godman, Peter Temple Morris and even Louth's Brendan McGahon as unlikely to be returning. But as the two-day meeting progressed, it became, hourly, more possible that because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak, there might be no election in Britain and they could all be back together again. This greatest sporting event of all, O'Kennedy said, might have to be postponed. "Charlie McCreevy always said politics is a blood sport and we are the bloody hares."
The British were unsure of what to make of all this but Winnick, in his reply, urged members on to greater glory, and towards becoming the parliamentary tier of the British Irish Council. The body might be a talking shop, he said, but he wouldn't describe it as such. If the Palestinians and the Israelis as well as the Albanians and the Serbs had such a forum, and if it had existed between Britain and Ireland before, "much bloodshed would have been saved".