Prior's plan to reshape British rule

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killers iailed 'IRELAND - TIME FOR TORY POLICIES TO GO'. Labour movement conference organised by Labour Committee on Ireland and Committee for Withdrawal from Ireland. Saturday February 27, starting 11am at The Theatre, 309 Regent St, London W1. Delegate'se or observer's credentials £2 from 1 North End Road, London W14.

SINCE THE abolition of Stormont in 1972, each Westminster government has tried to launch a political initiative' to break the deadlock of direct rule. All have failed, caught between Paisley's refusal to accept any power-sharing with the Catholic minority and demand for full powers for a Northern Ireland parliament, and the continuing resistance of the Republicans, who refuse to accept any British presence.

Paisley, who wrecked the power-sharing assembly through the UWC strike in 1974, now has clearly eclipsed the support for the Official Unionists among the Loyalists. On the other side, the SDLP has been losing support electorally, and has also gradually fragmented.

In this situation, Prior's new plan, which was leaked by the Guardian on January 14, tries to bypass these problems by adopting gradualist approach, in which the handing back of power from Westminster to a new, refurbished Northern Ireland Assembly will depend on good be: haviour by the political parties that receive it. LAST WEEK three Ulster Defence Association members - one of them a former soldier in the Ulster Defence Regiment - were jailed after pleading guilty to shooting Bernadette and Michael McAliskey last January• The press made much of Bernadette McAliskey's tribute to the army surgeon who saved her life, but not so much of her insistence that questions remained unanswered about the British Army' 's role in the assassination attempt.

Scottish soldiers based in the area arrived not long after the shooting, gave the Bruce Robinson examines the proposals in James Prior's latest scheme for the North of Ireland.

Prior plans to set up another elected Northern Ireland Assembly, but to keep the real power for an Executive which he will himself head. If the parties in the Assembly refuse to take part in the Executive, their place will be given. to Northern Ireland ministers or other Westminster MPs.

Initially, Prior iskey McAliskeys first aid, and got them to hospital. But before then, some soldiers speaking in English accents had been in the house where the McAliskeys were lying wounded, without giving any help.

No credible explanation has been given by the Army of why either group of soldiers came to the house.

*Looking at it every way", Michael McAliskey concluded at the time, "l can't see that those soldiers Ithe first group] were anything but SAS"

will have power over finance, security, and foreign affairs. The Executive as a whole will deal with 'less sensitive' functions. The elected Assembly would only be able to legislate with 70 per cent of the members voting for a Bill.

As Lord Gowrie, Prior's no.2, put it, "The various groupings only receive power as they show they are able to operate it"

Why should Prior think that the various Loyalists and the SDLP will agree to this scheme, which makes them dependent on his whims?

Strings

One reason is that he hopes to play on rivalries among the Unionists and draw the Official Unionists into the Executive. The SDLP is also a major target for Prior.

The carrot in Prior's plan is the £91 million aid programme, mainly aimed at housing and industry, announced earlier this month. He hopes to gain political support by showing that Northern Ireland's economic problems require aid from the Westminster government. Trent Poly Labour Club: Conference on Northern Ireland. Saturday February 13: registration from 1lam.