January 28 1975
REV Ian Paisley, Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said last night that a police force “similar to the ‘B’ Specials” would have to be formed if Northern Ireland was to survive.
Addressing his party’s annual dinner in Ballymena, Mr Paisley said that the DUP utterly repudiated the Secretary of State’s “jibes” at such a force.
“Of course”, he said, “it is quite evident Mr [Merlyn] Rees doesn’t want to win the war against the IRA, but we do. He prefers to surrender under the guise of a political settlement. We want and will not settle for anything less than victory”.
Mr Paisley said: “Ulster must have its own democratic parliament and government, and police control must be firmly in the hands of that government and parliament”.
Earlier yesterday, there was reaction to Mr Paisley’s weekend call to Loyalists to join together to protect their heritage. He said the British Government, the Republic, the IRA “and the nest of traitors in our midst, must see that they face determined men”.
Alliance Assemblyman, Dr Derrick Crothers, said Mr Paisley was continuing to confuse Catholicism with Provisional Irish Republicanism, and religion with politics.
“Protestant sabre rattling will only create fear in the vast majority of law-abiding Roman Catholics”, he said.
In a sweeping attack on all opponents, Ian Paisley claimed a police force like the “B” Specials needed to be established to secure Northern Ireland’s future.
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In Support of Staying in EEC
Supporting continued membership of the EEC, UPNI Assemblyman Brigadier Ronald Broadhurst said that UUUC MP Mr Enoch Powell accused the British people of timidity because they calculated that they would fare ill outside the Common Market. “But surely it is stupid rather than brave to leave, or to put up a killing tariff between us and Europe, and to exclude ourselves from overridingly crucial economic and military decisions”, said Mr Broadhurst.
He said: “Indeed, our present tepid acceptance of EEC terms is already depriving the Northern Ireland farmer of its intervention assistance to farmers, whose beef does not reach a certain price. Eire farmers receive such aid”.
In the build-up to the June 1975 referendum in the UK on staying in or leaving the EEC, Ronald Broadhurst criticises Enoch Powell’s stance of opposition to the EEC and Common Market.
