From Miss Muriel Anderson
Sir: How welcome was the reminder by John Graham (November 20) of the basic and unchanged realities and distortions of Ulster politics which are at the root of the present crisis and which are in danger of being lost sight of in the present welter of charge and counter-charge on the subject of brutality. Nothing less than root and branch reform of the whole structure of government in Northern Ireland can remove these distortions and the distrust which they have engendered on both sides; and the failure of both the present British government and its predecessor to grasp this nettle firmly is a major contributory cause of the continuing deterioration in the situation.
The most fundamental reform of all needs the acquiescence of neither the government of Northern Ireland nor the apposition — namely the removal of the border issue from day to day politics — yet, incredibly, no attempt has yet been made to remove this greatest single obstacle to political integration and to a normal political life. By making any change in the constitutional position subject to a plebiscite instead of being subject to the consent of the Northern
Ireland parliament, as is now the case, the question of the border could be removed from its present evil dominance. It is a reforrn which, by making the border issue irrelevant to parliamentary politics, would strike at the very roots of the division in the country, and at the political power of the Orange Order, without, in any way, derogating from the British government's obligation to uphold the wishes of the majority on the constitutional position of the prov ince as an integral part of the United Kingdom.
The enactment of this reforin would now come too late to undo the damage of the last two years, but by indicating to the minoritY that the British government is net the puppet of the Unionist party, it would go some way towards halting the minority's drift towards active support of the IRA. More' over, it is a precondition to anY satisfactory settlement and the sooner it is achieved the sooner are meaningful talks on the future administrative structure of North' ern Ireland likely to take place (10 they must some day), and the, greater will be their chances 01, success. Far from being a sign 01 weakness in the face of the gun. such a reform would be all indication of that moral strenr without which no real peace ls possible. To insist on the restoration of, law and order before this kind o' political initiative can take place is, to ensure continuing deadlock an° increasing alienation of the minor: ity (which, hopefully, is not ye complete) with all that this mean1 in senseless loss of life and the destruction of human decencies.
is a grave responsibility for aPY government.
Muriel Andersori 3B Fitzroy Lodge, The Grove. London N6
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