Atkins Conference Collapses

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The constitutional conference on Northern Ireland set up by Atkins in January has collapsed in a predictable series of accusations and counter-accusations.

The conference was called as a test of the willingness of the SDLP to agree to the demands of Paisley's Democratic Unionists.

The conference was doomed in advance when SDLP leader Gerry Fitt resigned after failing to persuade the party to abandon power sharing as a minimum condition for acceptance.

This was the reality behind the division between Hume's initial call for a boycott against Fitt's call for participation.

Atkins hoped for a verbal: agreement which would have been used to impose a new 'initiative' to allow the government to move away from direct Trinids, British rule back to direct Orange rule of the province.

It took place against a background of increasing polarisaPaisley tion within Northern Ireland itself.

The demonstration of between 15,000 and 20,000 Orange Order supporters last weekend in Belfast was a mark of the resurgence of sectarian politics in Northern Ireland.

The conference could have succeeded for the British government only at the expense of either Paisley or Hume committing political suicide.

After it was 'adjourned' (for. ever) Gerry Fitt attacked Hume for failing to go into the talks "in the spirit of goodwill and trying to find a compromise".

He praised Paisley for being 'genuine' in trying to reach agreement.

But the SDLP is politically irrelevant. The frustration of the Orange order is frustration against the failure of the British army to strangle the anti-imperjalist struggle.

TO