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
The dark shadow we seem to see in the distance is not really a mountain ahead, but the shadow of the mountain behind - a shadow from the past thrown forward into our future. It is a dark sludge of historical sectarianism. We can leave it behind us if we wish.
There is no doubt that there are people in the republican movement who have been guilty of breaches of the ceasefire,
Of course, if they show they are committed to peaceful means and they honor the undertakings they gave under the agreement, there's still the prospect of people jumping together but it's time to start to deliver.
This clears the stalemate we have had in terms of process,
I must make it clear that the calling of the meeting does not mean that we have committed ourselves to endorsing any set of proposals.
It will kill off this issue for a generation. I am quite sure the result would be an overwhelming endorsement of the Union.
The fog is clearing, and as it clears we see that the Ulster Party will be the largest party in the assembly, that the determined assault made upon us by the DUP and its allies has failed.
had not been seen in the talks before.
Now winter is here and there is still no sign of spring.
I wonder if they have any idea of the damage that has been done to this process, and have they any ideas as to how to recover and repair that damage.
Recovery would be very simple -- let the prime minister put the information he has in the public domain,
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.
In the absence of those certainties, in the absence of those commitments, we have decided it's premature to form a shadow administration,
ready to carry out their side of the agreement.