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From Socialist Worker, No. 108, 8 February 1969, p. 1.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
CAPTAIN Terence O’Neill’s decision to call a snap election in Northern Ireland while his Tory Unionist Party is in open disarray must be seen as ar act of political desperation in a situation which has become, for Northern big business, both intolerable and dangerous.
The diehard Unionist MPs, by meeting openly in Portadown, have thrown down the gauntlet to O’Neill.
O’Neill knows that at least seven more Unionist MPs are waiting in the wings to join the diehards.
It is common knowledge that a majority of the rank and file members of the local Unionist constituency associations are in support of William Craig – style fundamental unionism.
By holding an election O’Neill has ensured (with some exceptions) that the sitting members will be readopted as the official candidates.
It is clear that where the official candidate is an O’Neillite he will be opposed by an independent diehard, while the official diehards will be opposed by independent O’Neillites.
With this prospect, time and money are all important and O’Neill who has the money (via the official party funds and the backing or big business, both British and Irish) holds a snap election and denies his opponents time to organise money and support.
Another advantage O’Neill hopes to gain by a snap election is to save the bacon of the Green Tory Nationalists whose support has been corroded over the last few months.
Green tories like Eddie McAteer. will raise the cry of ‘opposition unity’ in a desperate attempt to hold on to their comfortable parliamentary jobs.
Where possible socialists must smash this spurious unity by refusing to support any candidate who is not wholeheartedly committed to the full programme of the civil rights movement, including the demand for civil rights in the south.
Wherever possible, socialists must oppose candidates of both the two-tone Tory parties and must resist any pressure for a civil rights truce during the election campaign.
Such a truce would be disastrous at any time but would be treacherous now when O’Neill enters the hustings with his proposed amendment to the Public Order Act which would make it illegal sit down, sit in, or stand up for civil rights.
Last updated: 15 January 2021