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Tag: Martin McGuinness

Tag Archives: Martin McGuinness

10Apr/23

Good Friday Agreement: the early 1990s back-channel between the IRA and British government that made peace possible

April 10, 2023PoliticsBill Clinton, Brendan Duddy, British MPs, Creative Commons, Derry, George Mitchell, Harold Wilson, Ireland, Irish hunger strike, Irish Republican Army, Irish republicanism, Irish republicans, John Chilcot, John Major, London, Lynch, Martin McGuinness, Members of the Northern Ireland Forum, Niall Dochartaigh, Niall Ó Dochartaigh, Northern Ireland, O'Doherty family, Patrick Mayhew, Robert McLaren, Sinn Féin, United Kingdom, United States, William Whitelawadmin

Niall Ó Dochartaigh, University of Galway

In February 1990, in the midst of the Troubles, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness publicly invited the British government to reopen a back-channel used during previous phases of contact with the IRA in the 1970s and during the 1981 hunger strike.

If [the British government] think there is something to be lost by stating publicly how flexible they would be, or how imaginative, we are saying they should tell us privately … there is an avenue which they are aware of whereby they can make what imaginative steps they are thinking about known to the Republican movement.

It was a crucial early step on the road to the Good Friday Agreement.

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13Sep/22

King Charles inherits crown with support for monarchy at record low – but future not set in stone

September 13, 2022Human InterestAdministrative territorial entities, Andrew, Charles, Charles III, Constitutional monarchy, Creative Commons, Debate on the monarchy in Canada, Diana, Elizabeth II, Forms of government, Government of Spain, Harry, Ireland, John Curtice, Martin McGuinness, Meghan, Monarchism, Monarchy, Monarchy of Spain, Northern Ireland, Political philosophy, Politics, Republic, Royal family, United Kingdom, United States, Walesadmin

John Curtice, University of Strathclyde

The death of Queen Elizabeth II after 70 years on the throne has, of course, been met with widespread sadness and mourning. For most people in Britain, she is the only monarch they have known. Yet, inevitably, the mourning of her passing will be followed by a discussion about the future of the monarchy as an institution. After all, much has changed since 1951.

Although it may have provided the head of state for over a thousand years, in a modern democracy like Britain the monarchy will need to retain public consent if it is to survive.

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