David Trimble
David Trimble
William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC, is a British politician who was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002, and the leader of the Ulster Unionist Partyfrom 1995 to 2005. He was also the Member of Parliament for Upper Bann from 1990 to 2005 and the Member of the Legislative Assemblyfor Upper Bann from 1998 to 2007. In 2006, he was made a life peer in the House of Lords and a year later left the...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth15 October 1944
CityBangor, Northern Ireland
CountryIreland
We have still not secured any commitment (on IRA disarmament) that would be recognized by unionists. We consider that the guarantees are weak.
until such time as the IRA has been disbanded.
We're glad to see that the IRA has taken a significant step towards decommissioning but it hasn't actually begun decommissioning. And of course we want to see that happen.
We hope that they can, as they have done in the past, improve on what the IRA has done,
If President Clinton's visit helps to shift paramilitaries from their intransigent positions, he will deserve much credit, ... I hope that the IRA and the loyalist paramilitaries will not let him down.
hooligan elements are continuing the work that the IRA have been engaged in for the past 30 years.
The IRA weren't getting what they wanted out of the talks. This is their response.
It is not just a question of a symbolic action with regard to handing in some weapons,
We have stretched ourselves remarkably in the circumstances, ... It is also obvious there is a limit to how far we can stretch ourselves without an adequate response being made in the circumstances.
We have started and we will go on. and we will go on all the better if we walk rather than run. Sometimes we will stumble but this will not matter.
Our proposal to him, expressed very strongly indeed, is that that is the course he should follow,
Our principal objective is ... to see the administration re-formed but re-formed on a sound basis.
Our view is that the review should be tightly focused on something -- that is, focused on the key issues that have caused the difficulties, primarily on decommissioning and also on the question of devolution,
Recovery would be very simple -- let the prime minister put the information he has in the public domain,