The Four points for Britain – Land, Religion, Environment, Politics and Peace
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in Western Europe, and a member of the British Commonwealth and European Union. Great Britain now sometimes called Britain, is the geographical name for the largest island in the British Isles, and includes the mainland nations of England, Wales and Scotland.
There has been over thirty years of intense violence between Northern Ireland’s Nationalist community with the majority being Roman Catholic and the Unionist community consisting of Protestant. There was discrimination against the British and the minority of them was Protestant. British forces were neutral in the conflict and tried to up hold law and order in the North.
The Belfast Agreement also known as “The Good Friday Agreement” has provided Northern Ireland’s divided society with a political framework to resolve its differences. The agreement mentions that North Ireland will remain within the United Kingdom until a majority votes other wise. This agreement was developed to give respect to both the Unionist and Nationalist parties, to create a power-sharing government.
Trouble in North Ireland persists, British army had to be deployed in Northern Ireland to restore order. In 1972 the British government imposed direct rule from London. Bloody Sunday resulted as a collapse of 50 years of Unionist rule. Northern Ireland conflict is referred to as the “The Troubles.”
The 1974 power- sharing Executive was the first experiment in cross community government in Northern Ireland and lasted only a short five months. Unionists opposed sharing power because it was not possible to share power with Nationalists that wanted to destroy the state.
Sinn Fein (IRA political wing)- political wing of the IRA (Irish Republican Army) was a big part of the problem of trying to resolve the issues between Britain and Northern Ireland. Britain did not want to join a government with Sinn Fein because of his involvement in the Catholic terrorist group, the Irish Republican Army. Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble required Fein to have the IRA dismantle its weapons, but the IRA is showing resists against this and in turn held up the peace process for the country.
Britain is made up of four distinctive countries. Britain exemplifies this point very well that there was more than one route towards political organization and the development of an overarching identity in each country. Resistance against this only created more unity and a stronger country. Britain is a great country and wants to hold its own separate identity. Northern Ireland also has had more economic success under British rule compared with the southern state of Ireland.
Environment versus jobs is a theme running in Britain. The Irish States policy of attracting foreign multi-nationals into the country – with lucrative tax breaks and set up grants – had much to do with ongoing crisis of employment creation and emigration. Different class interests were at play. For Irish workers unemployment and emigration had been an ongoing disaster. For the Irish bourgeoisie there was the simple economic need to become a player in developing international capitalist economy.
Britain’s occupancy in Northern Ireland over the years has built strength to a deteriorating political and security situation. Britain also plays a leading role with Europe and as a strong relationship with the United States, which in turn helps the economy.
REFERENCES
Grose, T. (1999, July). No end of troubles. U.S. News & World Report, 127 (4) p.36.
Mccallister, J. & Thornton, C. (2000, February). The peace falls to pieces again.
Time Australia, 8, p.38.
Reed, S. & Templeman, J. (1997, June). Belfast: A whiff of peace in the spring air.
Business week, 3531 p.60.
The troubles. (2006). Wikipedia. Retrieved November 11, 2006,
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Watson, F. (n.d.). Scotland and the four nations of Britain. Retrieved November 14,
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Retrieved November 14, 2006 from http://www.aboutsociology.com/sociology/UK.
