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
Politics can be likened to driving at night over unfamiliar hills and mountains. Close attention must be paid to what the beam can reach and the next bend.
We have said repeatedly that we jumped first and gave them the chance to act... and a second chance. Doing nothing is not a cost-free option to republicans,
until such time as the IRA has been disbanded.
The one thing I can assure you is that I'm not going to do a Prescott.
The Republican movement have not behaved properly over the years. They have not themselves implemented the Agreement. If they had implemented the Agreement then they would have disarmed completely in May 2000, that is what they undertook to do, that is what they failed to do.
The decision to give an indicative date for a return is a mistake. It degrades the process. It degrades human life.
As we take stock of this century of achievement, Ulster Unionists have every reason to feel proud.
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 are two traditions in Northern Ireland. There are two main religious denominations. But there is only one true moral denomination. And it wants peace.
There is no doubt that there are people in the republican movement who have been guilty of breaches of the ceasefire,
The people of Northern Ireland will now judge Sinn Fein on their actions over the coming days, ... An end to the war means the weapons of terrorism must be destroyed and all forms of paramilitary violence must cease for good.
The process is moving forward and the process is moving forward towards a particular result and towards completion. and the sooner we get there the happier everyone in Northern Ireland will be,
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.
In the future there cannot be room for ambiguity. They have to make their position absolutely clear before they can expect anyone to respond to it.