Defending the Dirty Politics’ of the Northern Ireland Peace Process

“This cultural seminar offered an opportunity to gain an understanding of the extraordinary political effort that brought about the Good Friday Agreement”.  

A presentation by Dr Paul Dixon, Professor in Politics and International Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.  

The Labour government was almost universally condemned for its handling of the ‘On the Runs’ (OTR) issue during the peace process. This lecture argues that the ‘dirty’ tactics or ‘political skills’ that were used by Labour to deal with the issue of OTRs are those that have been so successful in bringing relative peace to Northern Ireland. The various negotiators of the peace process have taken a ‘pragmatic realist’ approach that has employed a range of ‘political skills’ or ‘deception and manipulation’ to overcome important obstacles to a stable accommodation. The most high profile deception was the ‘honourable deception’ perpetrated by Tony Blair during the referendum campaign to secure a ‘Yes’ vote on the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement 1998. 

Three perspectives or ideal types are useful for exploring the politics of the peace process. First, there are Realistswho argue that politics is a ‘dirty business’ of which ‘political skills’ including deception is an inevitable part. Politics cannot be judged by the standards of personal morality. Second, Idealists argue that deception and ‘political skills’ have no place in politics and that an honest politics is possible, desirable and democratic. Some of these idealists are sincere supporters of the peace process while others are absolutists who seek to undermine the peace process by opposing any compromise. Third, Democratic Realists argue that deception can be used for both good and bad ends. The morality of ‘political skills’ cannot be judged outside the context in which political actors finds themselves.

Tom Scanlon, Public Relations Officer at Luton Irish Forum said “In focusing on the relatively recent aspect of our history this cultural seminar offered an opportunity to gain an understanding of the extraordinary political effort that brought about the Good Friday Agreement announced at 5.36pm on the 10th April 1998.  The agreement ratified by substantial majorities in both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, signalled an end to what appeared to be an intractable conflict that claimed the lives of an estimated three thousand six hundred people and impacted on thousands of families in these Islands between July 1969 and December 2001.  The achievement offers hope and inspiration to the communities striving for peace in many parts of the world today and should encourage politicians to strive for peace not war.”