Remembrance Sunday rules changed to protect NI peace process
However other ministers warned of an 'adverse reaction' from the SNP and Plaid Cymru, who were restricted to laying a single joint wreath.
Under rules drawn up in 1984, the leader of any party which secured six seats at the previous general election was entitled to lay a wreath during the ceremony led by the monarch.
David Trimble at the Cenotaph (Toby Melville/PA)
After the 2001 general election that meant Mr Trimble, whose Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) secured six seats, could take part, but Mr Paisley, the leader of the Democratic Unionists (DUP) with five, could not.
But after Jeffrey Donaldson defected from the UUP to the DUP in 2003, the balance was reversed, and the DUP complained they were being treated unfairly compared with the UUP.
In the run up to the 2004 ceremony, Mr Murphy told the constitutional affairs secretary, Lord Falconer, there would be 'real difficulties' if the 1984 formulation continued to apply to the Northern Ireland parties.
'We will undoubtedly face renewed pressure from the the DUP this year given that they are now not only the largest NI party but also have six Westminster MPs (and had done resoundingly well in the assembly and Euro elections),' he wrote.
'But we are now involved in intensive dialogue over the political future in Northern Ireland in which the DUP, and the UUP, are the key players. I fear, therefore, there are now pressing political reasons for amending the 1984 formulation.'
He suggested it could be tweaked so both parties which had six MPs at the last election, and those with subsequently passed that threshold through by-elections or defections, could take part.
Lord Falconer expressed concern that there was 'a certain awkwardness' in the proposal, which involved overturning a clearly established formula.
'There is a further difficulty in the Scottish Nationalists, like the Official Unionists currently have five seats at Westminster. If Mr Trimble continues to lay a wreath, they might argue that they should be allowed to do so also,' he wrote.
'However, it is in fact Plaid Cymru's turn to lay the wreath in 2004 on behalf of the joint parliamentary group. The result will be, apparently, that Northern Ireland lays two wreaths while Scotland lays none.'
Nevertheless, the plan was agreed by No 10.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
8 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
DUP demands Sinn Féin action on republican bonfire while facing ‘hypocrisy' claims over loyalist pyres
This newspaper first reported that a person was hospitalised after an incident at the site in Derry's Meenan Square last week. On Radio Foyle this morning, East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell accused Sinn Féin of being 'in absentia in the past few days'. He said that 'everybody knows every year that this bonfire causes a problem and a series of problems on occasions'. Mr Campbell added that, in previous years, the bonfire has contained offensive items such as poppy wreaths and flags, and that shots have been fired in the vicinity. He said there 'needs to be a statement of intent from Sinn Féin that they intend to work with the police and with the local community in the Bogside to make sure that doesn't happen this year'. Mr Campbell pointed to the close proximity of the unionist Fountain estate as well. It comes after DUP MLA Gary Middleton warned of a 'void of political leadership', saying it is time Sinn Féin 'stepped up and made clear this situation is unacceptable'. He said the bonfire has been 'a source of serious concern for some time, causing disruption, raising safety fears'. However, the SDLP said 'it is a bit rich to hear the DUP call for leadership around bonfires given their failure to deal with these issues in other areas and their refusal to consider any kind of regulation in the past'. The Bogside bonfire is due to be lit in mid-August at the site managed by Apex Housing, with £11m redevelopment plans repeatedly delayed because it cannot find a contractor willing to remove bonfire materials. Construction is not due to begin until next year. The DUP was asked if Mr Middleton or Mr Campbell have condemned loyalist bonfires including the Fountain pyre that contained a sign reading 'Taigs out' beside crosshairs in the run up to the Twelfth. The party has not responded. On Radio Foyle, Mr Campbell was also asked if his position could be viewed as 'hypocritical' as his party opposed the removal of a bonfire in south Belfast which was built on a site containing asbestos and reportedly posed a separate risk to the power supply to local hospitals. He responded by saying DUP councillors worked on the ground to ensure there were no problems and criticised 'hyping in the media'. Watch: Controversial Village bonfire in Belfast goes ahead after council order for removal Addressing criticism, Sinn Féin Foyle MLA Ciara Ferguson said the planned 'anti-community bonfires' in Derry are in stark contrast to the hundreds of positive alternative events taking place in the city this summer. 'There is no place for these bonfires in our society which attract anti-social behaviour, and threaten the health and wellbeing of local residents," she added. 'Their safety must come first. Hundreds of positive events are set to take place right across Derry this August. 'Fantastic work is being done by a wide group of organisations to celebrate art, sport, music, our heritage and culture, while also discussing and debating the important issues of the day. 'Derry is a city bursting with pride and potential. The images portrayed this summer must project a community that is working together to move forward and build a better future. 'We have an incredible story to tell. Let's ensure it continues to be told in the right way.' Last year, Union flags, a King Charles coronation flag, and an Israeli flag were displayed on the pyre along with offensive banners, prompting the PSNI to confirm it was treating the incident as a hate crime. A year previously, police launched an investigation after shots were fired near the site. In 2021, posters placed on the bonfire made reference to former PSNI chief Simon Byrne and murdered Catholic officer Ronan Kerr. Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan said: 'The SDLP's position is clear that we would prefer there to be no bonfires taking place in our city, but the Executive's failure to regulate bonfires means that depressingly, and predictably, communities continue to be challenged by these issues every summer. 'In the absence of an agreed way forward, steps will have to be taken to manage this bonfire safely so that it passes off with minimal harm to our environment and the local community. 'The Executive Office's inability to progress the Meenan Square project is partly why we find ourselves in this situation again and the blame for that cannot be laid at the feet of young people in the Bogside.' Mr Durkan encouraged young people to participate in the many alternative events on offer as he made a direct plea to bonfire organisers 'to refrain from the burning of any flags, symbols or effigies'. "We have seen some sickening displays of hate recently and I really hope that young people here can rise above such activity,' he added. 'The SDLP will continue working with community leaders to make every effort to ensure this bonfire passes off without incident.'
BBC News
17 hours ago
- BBC News
NI Troubles: US space surveillance suggested during peace process
Surveillance from space by the USA was suggested as a way to verify that the IRA was decommissioning weapons during the peace idea was described as "off the wall" but "worth exploring" by a British details are contained in the note of a phone call contained in newly-released government papers from the National papers include files from the then Prime Minister Tony Blair's office on Northern Ireland and Ireland from the year 2000. At the time, there were discussions on the decommissioning of IRA idea that the US could use satellites to monitor whether IRA weapons dumps had been concreted over was raised in a meeting between Irish and US details were recorded in a note by an official in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO).According to the note, it was also suggested that satellites could "replicate the functions of the South Armagh towers". "But we were pretty clear that would not work," the NIO official said that when the idea was suggested, a senior diplomat had "laughed it out of the room". There were a number of army observation towers in south Armagh during the towers were later scrapped as part of the peace was not the only example where potential help from the USA was late Ulster Unionist Party leader and First Minister David Trimble suggested a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Louis Freeh, be appointed to "look into" racketeering and gangsterism in Northern Trimble made the suggestion during a meeting with NIO officials, according to the state papers. A number of papers also mention the early development of proposals by the UK government to deal with those known as On the On the Run letters provided assurance to over 100 people that they did not face arrest and prosecution for IRA the details were only made public during a court case involving a suspected IRA bomber in 2014. The papers also reveal tense meetings between British officials and Ulster Unionists over symbols, like the use of the Royal coat of arms in courtrooms and a redesign of the PSNI badge."Lord Kilclooney and Trimble complained at length about what they saw as the relentless diminution of Britishness in Northern Ireland," the note of a meeting from November 2001 said."Trimble said the publication of the proposed designs for a new police badge had 'ignited one hell of a row' within the UUP," a subsequent note NIO official also described a letter from Trimble to Blair on the situation within unionism as "singularly graceless and ill-timed".
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Bogside: DUP says Sinn Féin's silence 'deafening' over bonfire
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has accused Sinn Féin of a "deafening" silence over plans for a republican bonfire on private land in Londonderry, which has stalled work on a £11m development. Last week, a man needed hospital treatment after he fell from the bonfire which is under construction at Meenan Square in the site is managed by Apex Housing, which has had to delay work on a project because it cannot find a contractor willing to remove the bonfire member Gary Middleton said there was a "void of political leadership from Sinn Féin in the Bogside" over the bonfire, which has sparked controversy in recent years. Sinn Féin has been asked for comment. Last year, police said they were treating the display of flags and banners - including union flags, a King Charles coronation flag and the flag of Israel - on the bonfire in the Bogside as a hate 2022, police investigated shots being fired near the site and in 2021 posters placed on the bonfire referenced former Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Simon Byrne and another the murder of Catholic police officer Ronan Kerr."This bonfire has been a source of serious concern for some time, causing disruption, raising safety fears and delaying an £11 million publicly-funded redevelopment project," Middleton said."That investment is being stalled because not a single contractor is willing to go near the site to remove materials, citing threats and safety risks."It is time they [Sinn Féin] stepped up and made clear this situation is unacceptable." Injured man transferred to Belfast hospital Last Wednesday evening, a man was seriously hurt after falling from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) confirmed that a man was taken to injured man was treated for undisclosed injuries at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry, before being transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Housing has declined to comment but previously said it was continuing to re-secure boundary fencing and gates following repeated incidents of "forced entry" at the £11m development will include social housing, community services, retail, commercial and office space. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it was committed to working with partners, including local councils and community representatives, to address community safety issues linked to City and Strabane District Council said, while it does not authorise or regulate bonfires, it does engage with a wide range of partners to minimise the impact on communities.A spokesperson said it would continue to liaise with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) regarding the storage and disposal of tyres and other materials which may be placed on bonfires. Why is the bonfire being lit? Bonfires on 15 August are traditional in some nationalist parts of Northern Ireland to mark the Catholic Feast of the bonfires are also lit in August to commemorate the introduction of internment without trial of republican suspects during the Troubles, which was introduced by the UK Government in 1971.
