‘This is war’

The following is an edited version of the party leader’s address by Ian Paisley to the annual conference of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

We have a solemn and terrifying responsibility. Every evil force which seeks the destruction of our province, the betrayal of our heritage, the abolition of the Union and the final victory of our enemies is united to achieve that goal.

This is war. War waged in every sphere. It is a fight where no Queensbury rules are honoured. It is a battle where no international agreements are upheld. It is a struggle for the very existence of democracy. Every evil force is harnessed to the chariot of vilest treachery and diabolical deception.

Destruction of Ulster is the aim and the IRA is the instrument of the entire Judas Iscariot strategy. Treachery is the order of the day.

The great objective is to discredit the loyal unionist majority and seek, by the most underhand schemes, to turn the DUP into another easy pushover, spineless organisation, as happened to the Ulster Unionist Party.

Let me tell you that as long as I lead this party it is going to honour the election pledges it has made. It will not be entering any talks, negotiations, powwows or socialisations with IRA/Sinn Féin. Until Sinn Féin has surrendered its murder weaponry and turned away completely and totally and forever from its campaign of treachery, murder and mayhem, we will not be speaking to them in any way or negotiating with them at all.

I would remind you of the answer Tony Blair gave to me in the House of Commons in November 2002 when I asked him: ‘What is an act of completion? Does it consist of IRA/Sinn Féin repudiating and ceasing violence and being disbanded, or does it simply mean that they make a statement that they will give up violence? Can the Prime Minister tell us what he believes it means?’

Here is his reply: ‘I can. It is not merely a statement, a declaration or words. It means giving up violence completely in a way that satisfies everyone and gives them confidence that the IRA has ceased its campaign and enables us to move the democratic process forward, with every party that wants to be in government abiding by the same democratic rules.’

Today I say to the Prime Minister: ‘There is no going back, Mr Blair. There is no letting off the hook. There is no diluting of promises made. It is all or nothing. It is action, not promises. It is public demonstration, not concealed equivocation, smoke-screened behind false undertakings. This is your promise. This is your self-appointed programme, Mr Blair. This is the way you said you would go. The Ulster electorate is determined you will walk this road of your own choosing ... Going over to the enemy is treachery and betrayal.’

The DUP stands ready to enter real talks provided total decommissioning has been accomplished. Without that there is no future peace in Northern Ireland. The IRA are busy, aided and abetted by Dublin, notching up a further victory, gaining another raft of concessions and taking another step in the destruction of our place in this island. Make no mistake about it, it is war to the end. It is a matter of life and death, freedom or bondage, whether we shall be serfs of Dublin or free citizens of Britannia.

Let it be carefully noted that every time IRA/Sinn Féin has come under pressure, all the energies of the Roman Catholic Church are called into action to pressurise the government to concede something more to them and save them. At the time of the hunger strikes the Pope himself made the suicides of the IRA participants religiously respectable by sending his own emissary to meet them and present them with gold crucifixes blessed by himself.

Then pressures were put on John Hume to make Gerry Adams and his murder organisation respectable. John Hume became the engineer of his own party’s destruction. He now sits in retirement upon its ruins. Who got Gerry Adams elected to Westminster? John Hume.

Dr Hendron saw himself ousted by the action of his own leader at the behest of the church. Dr Hendron was the first victim, and now his whole party has become the second victim of Hume’s church-dictated actions.

Now the Roman Church has been called in once again. The church sees the rise and renewal of resurrected traditional unionism as a menace to IRA/Sinn Féin, thus Archbishop Brady’s intervention.

Running true to form, the Jesuits within the church have refused to reveal the full contents of the speech. Only a specially prepared version is available. Why, at this particular time, do we not get the full story? Is it not interesting how quickly the ecumenical clergy have hastened to run to the aid of the archbishop? No wonder the enemies of our province are worried.

Fellow unionists, we are not going to allow IRA/Sinn Féin to rule over us. We are not going to pull down our flag and join with the Trimble-ite slaves in the tents of republicanism. True unionism, unionism cleansed and delivered from the softness of political expediency, has arisen and is on the march. Let all the prevaricators tremble, for truth will always win. Let the compromisers retreat for I hear the marching feet of the enlarged and newly regenerated battalions of traditional unionism.

Let those of you rejoice who have stood by the old cause in its darkest days. Weeping has endured for the night, but joy has come in the morning.

We welcome to your true family those who have left the Trimble conspiracy and we trust that together with one God, one flag, one covenant and one aim, we shall aim to see the day of ultimate victory.

Let us gird ourselves with a new undimmed consecration so that we shall fight a good fight, finish the course and keep the faith.

Urgent Appeal