June 8 1974
Britain has the right to insist that the people of Northern Ireland accept the authority of Westminster, Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Merlyn Rees declared last night.
And he asked: “Surely it is right that we should ask the people of Northern Ireland – and in particular their elected representatives – that they, too, should be willing to change former attitudes and reach an accommodation with others of different persuasions.”
Speaking in Leeds, Mr Rees said: “Our only insistence is that the structure of government in Northern Ireland involves full recognition of the wish and the right of both the majority and the minority communities in the province to participate in government.”
Mr Rees said: “That it is a time too for people on this side of the water to reconsider our relationship to Northern Ireland.
“It is estimated that in 1974-1975 the transfer of reserves – including loans – from the rest of the United Kingdom to Northern Ireland will be £430m. In addition, the Northern Ireland Finance Corporation suggests that the cost of the recent strike could be measured in hundreds of millions of pounds.
“The people of England, Scotland and Wales understand and accept the transfer of resources to Northern Ireland in the same way as to other depressed regions of the United Kingdom.
“What they cannot comprehend or tolerate is the kind of self-inflicted damage to the Northern Ireland economy such as that caused by the Ulster Workers’ Council strike.
Our only insistence is that the structure of government in Northern Ireland involves full recognition of the wish and the right of both the majority and the minority communities in the province to participate in government
— Secretary of State Merlyn Rees
“Northern Ireland has every right to claim the full financial benefits of membership of the United Kingdom, but the remainder of the United Kingdom has an equal right to insist that the people of Northern Ireland accept the authority of the United Kingdom Parliament,” said Mr Rees.
“The Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 remains in force. It may be that in the months ahead discussions in Northern Ireland will result in agreed amendments to that Act and the Prime Minister [Harold Wilson] made it clear to the House of Commons that we were willing to consider that course.