Orders of the Day — Northern Ireland Constitution (Amendment) Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 13 December 1973.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Gerry Fitt Mr Gerry Fitt , Belfast West 12:00, 13 December 1973

No. But at least we can say that we have the support of a significant section of the electorate.

The hon. Member for Antrim, North put a question to me, and I believe that I should answer it here rather than in the middle of a television duel. The SDLP has made it clear from its very inception that it is opposed to all forms of violence in Northern Ireland—the killing of soldiers, the killing of policemen, the killing of UDR men and the killing of men, women and children in the indiscriminate way that it has been carried on.

I am not selective in my condemnation of violence and killings. I deplore every killing which has taken place in Northern Ireland. The hon. Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone talks in a qualified, ambiguous way in answer to a question put to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, South, out he does not have the guts to condemn all forms of killing. I have no hesitation in doing so.

The hon. Member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone talked about a gesture from the British Government because it was getting so near Christmas and the season of goodwill. When I left here on Monday after the Sunningdale talks, a young Catholic in the British Army was shot dead in my constituency. I condemn whoever was responsible. A policeman was killed within 24 hours of that incident. I condemn whoever was responsible.

I do not want to see internment. I do not want to see anyone interned without trial in Northern Ireland. As for those who are in prison in Britain at the moment, I do not want to see their relatives put to great inconvenience and hardship because they have not the financial wherewithal to visit them. I support their removal to Northern Ireland because I know that their presence here causes great hardship and inconvenience to their relatives. However, there are an awful lot of people throughout Britain who will experience the same inconvenience when they visit the graves of their sons, husbands, fathers, mothers and daughters who have been killed in Northern Ireland in the past two or three years.

I am not selective in my condemnation. I have made it perfectly clear that every loss of life in Northern Ireland was an unnecessary spilling of blood. That is why I have decided to advance to the Executive. It means no personal gain to me.

The hon. Member for Antrim. North was reported in a local newspaper recently as condemning Brian Faulkner for going for a post on the Executive at £9,000 a year. The hon. Gentleman is in no position to criticise the salary received by any elected Member in Northern Ireland.

Again, many people throughout Britain heard the hon. Gentleman on television say that the Speaker of the Assembly was not at liberty to anticipate what may happen and, therefore, he had no right to adjourn the Assembly. He went on to say "If I said that I was going to punch Brian Falkner on the nose, the Speaker would not be empowered to do anything until I had actually done it."

Knowing Brian Falkner and the hon. Member for Antrim, North, I should not be prepared to take any big bets on who would win such a contest. I would not lay my money heavily on the hon. Member for Antrim, North. We have heard him before bullying and lambasting the Opposition, but when it came to the fray it was a lot of innocent supporters who were caught and thrown into gaol.