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'McGuinness made a point and forced you to take it on board'

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Published Date: 09 July 2007
By HAMISH MACDONELL
Scottish Political Editor
TONY Blair's work in securing the Good Friday Agreement may end up being his most successful and enduring legacy.
In this extract, Alastair Campbell explains what really went on when Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness from Sinn Fein first set foot in Downing Street, on the way to that peace accord.

• Thursday, 11 December 1997

"Gerry Adams and his team ar
rived 15 minutes early, and he did a little number in the street, where the media numbers were huge.

"This was a big moment, potentially historic in the progress it could lead to. They came inside and we kept them waiting while we went over what TB [Tony Blair] was due to say.

"Mo Mowlam and Paul Murphy [Northern Ireland ministers] were both there and Mo was pretty fed up, feeling she was getting s**t from all sides ...

"We had agreed TB should be positive but firm.

"He actually came over as friendly, welcoming them individually as they came in. I shook McGuinness by the hand, who as he sat down said, fairly loudly, 'So this is the room where all the damage was done.'

"It was a classic moment where the different histories played out. Everyone on our side thought he was referring to the mortar attack on [former PM John] Major, and we were shocked.

"Yet it became obvious from their surprise at our shock that he was referring to policymaking down the years, and Britain's involvement in Ireland. 'No, no, I meant 1921,' he said. "I found McGuinness more impressive than Adams, who did the big statesman bit, and talked in grand historical sweeps, but McGuinness just made a point and battered it, and forced you to take it on board ...

"I was eyeing their reaction to TB the whole time, and both Adams and McG regularly let a little smile cross their lips.

"Martin Ferris [Sinn Fein negotiator] was the one who just stared. Mo got pissed off, volubly, when they said she wasn't doing enough."



Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 08 July 2007 11:30 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Tony Blair's leadership
 
1

'Hezza,

08/07/2007 23:57:26

Labour Spin Doctor writes entire Scotsman article: in what way is this new, or news?!!!

2

Name,

09/07/2007 03:17:24

Slow day in the newsroom boys?

3

Boy Wonder,

09/07/2007 05:28:53

Advertising Campbell's book in how many articles???

4

donald,

weegieland 09/07/2007 07:47:55

Labour sent the troops IN, 1969.

Labour introduced Diplock Courts, trial without Jury Status, introduced the PTA, etc, etc. Oh haven't the time for listing all their crimes in Ireland. Let them sing aboot the "Forces of the Crown" as they take over Parkheid and stir it with their Old Firm Labour voting numpties.

5

frank mcbride,

lusitania 09/07/2007 08:24:17

Sorry to be off point.

Fife Flyer, #213, Yesterday.

It is not debate I'm against. It's AM2's use of insidious tactics in his writing. He is likely to say that it is "polemic" but, it is not. A very high proportion of his posts are totally negative and are supported by phrases and insinuation or downright scapegoating.

AM2.

I couldn't care less who you are. But, you do reveal yourself as somewhat less than an honest broker. Which is your claim, not mine.

6

Andrew Allan,

09/07/2007 09:25:09

AM2, Glasgow / 9:21am 7 Jul 2007

‘Kenny MacAskill is an ignorant fool. His notion that these alleged suicide bombers not having been “born and raised” in Scotland is somehow a significant factor is misguided, dangerous and to anyone with the ability to see it carries a disturbing racial undertone.’
You say ‘Kenny MacAskill is an ignorant fool’, as he says it is a significant factor that the terrorists weren’t ‘born and raised’ in Scotland, but you neglect to inform us as to why you say so, have you a point you want to share with us, and why exactly should there be disturbing racial undertones in what Kenny MacAskill said? Is it not in fact your own ignorance at play here, in the way you view these Scots who are Muslims, you have no idea what so ever, what a Scottish Muslim is thinking, in very much the same way as any other Scot.
‘He clearly doesn’t understand that the ideologies of radical Islam are entirely independent of national identity. It is only a matter of time before a Scottish-born and raised Muslim carries out a terrorist atrocity. I wonder what tack he’ll take in that situation to brush it all under the carpet’
AM2, I really wish you would get your facts straight, as a religion, Islam is entirely independent of national identity which is to say all Muslims are brothers and sisters, it is radical Islam that is trying to exploit this point. Practically however, all Islamic countries have their own flags of recognition, as all other countries do. It seems to me that you have very little understanding of the situation at hand, and have no proof what so ever that a Scottish-born and raised Muslim will carry out a terrorist atrocity. Your attempt at proving your point with the two articles was almost as stupid as you saying a Scottish-born and raised Muslim will carry out a terrorist atrocity, without proof. The so called ‘Tartan Taliban’ if you had read it properly, shows that Mr McLintock has never fought militarily against Britain,

7

Andrew Allan,

09/07/2007 09:27:42

The Antifascist, Edinburgh / 12:13pm 6 Jul 2007

‘Andrew Allan: the SNP are just to the left of New Labour? Why is the party abolishing tuition fees (when the money could more sensibly be directed towards increasing funding for universities themselves, as in England) and take a stance against Trident and nuclear power stations then? What about the party’s attitude to Iraq? These policies strike many as extremely old Labour! You’ll be telling the Antifascist next that the SNP are all in favour of foundation hospitals! THE SNP ARE IN FACT JUST TO THE RIGHT OF OLD LABOUR and this is why they have never been able to build up a base in my affluent hometown of Edinburgh, which by the way would be an SNP free zone at parliamentary level to this day if the powers that be hadn’t joined Edinburgh East with Musselburgh before the last Scottish Parliament elections!’
Ah, the Antifascist, from Edward Died In November Buried Under Robert Graham’s House, affluent yes, and so it should be, it’s the capital! And a photo opportunity for those in Westminster who wish to show devolution is working. Tuition fees are an anathema, and an attack on the traditional Scottish belief of anti-elitism, they neither fully pay for the stated tuition, nor the upkeep of the universities, point in fact comes from the Guardian on 07/07/07, the article’s title was ‘Secret list of universities facing collapse’, ‘papers name 46 institutions in crisis’, these named universities are English, others that are in greater trouble were not named. As for the anti-nuclear movement, since when has it been a single party issue? The reasoning for Iraq was never going to be sustainable, yet the most stupidity has to go to those who hadn’t realized there would be attacks on our soldiers as there have been, there had been more than enough indications in the few years previous, that Islamic militants weren’t tolerating western soldiers on Muslim soil, and were setting suicide attacks.
It doesn’t mat

8

,

09/07/2007 10:34:19
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason: Scotsman Import, Original comment id: 770231, Article id was mapped to record!
9

Eve,

Scotland 09/07/2007 11:11:00

Is it just me or is this article funny. I had wee tiny small fit of the giggles while reading it.

#3. Boy Wonder: Ha Ha.
I guess there's no reason to go out and buy/ pick up his book now that we can read the best bits in the Scotsman.

Though it would be interesting to pick up a copy to see if the Scotsman are involved in the publishing of in and then put it back on the self.

10

Patrick O'Reilly,

Coatbridge 09/07/2007 18:40:46

We should never overestimate the abilities of Adams, McGuinness or Paisley. Three very limited individuals.

11

frank mcbride,

lusitania 09/07/2007 20:19:28

#10, Patrick.

A very astute comment.


 

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