- Event type: CREATE_FROM
Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992
WORK IN PROGRESS - IN THE FINAL STAGES OF EDITING A series of talks launched by Peter Brooke, Secretary of State for Northern in Ireland, which began in April 1991, and were carried on intermittently by Brooke and his successor, Patrick Mayhew, until November 1992.
British-Unionist Talks
Meetings between the British Government, the UUP and the DUP. Dates of meetings created from source material, but records of discussions not currently available to us.
To see the full record of a committee, click on the corresponding committee on the map below.
Session 12489: 1991-05-08 16:23:00
Bilateral meeting between the Government delegation and joint Unionist delegations on the afternoon of 8 May 1991.
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Secretary of State's Summary of the Position on the Afternoon of 8 May 1991
Secretary of State's Summary of the Position on the Afternoon of 8 May 1991
The Government Team had held morning bilaterals first with the SDLP and then with the Unionists and had seen the SDLP once again after lunch.
The meeting with the SDLP had not made a substantial difference to the venue issue.
There had followed a longer meeting with the Unionists in which the Government Team had clarified the position regarding the Unionists visiting Dublin at some point later in the process. The Unionists had explained that they would not go to Dublin in strand two but envisaged that in strand three the Northern Ireland political parties would want to be able put propositions to the two Governments to ensure there was no misunderstanding regarding their positions. The Unionists were prepared to go to Dublin at this point and clearly envisaged all parties having a clear idea of the elements any package under consideration to the extent that Articles 2 and 3 might not be such inhibiting factors as they were at present.
The Unionists had recognised the disadvantages of a European location but believed it should be seriously examined if no other solution seemed viable. They had explained this to John Hume separately in a bilateral of their own, in which the Government Team had not been involved.
The Government Team had, since lunch, met the SDLP delegation again. The position of the Unionists in relation to visiting Dublin had been explained and the European alternative outlined. The SDLP had seen serious difficulties, both in terms of practicality and public expenditure, with a European location and did not think it was a serious runner.
The discussion had then moved on to consider a larger role for Northern Ireland as a venue for the second strand. The specific proposition was put that a symbolic first meeting would take place in London followed by a series of substantial meetings in Northern Ireland, at a location yet to be decided (but not the Stormont Estate). At the close of strand two there would be a symbolic meeting in Dublin which would also act as a bridging meeting in the transition to strand three, which would also begin in Dublin. The SDLP had suggested that the meeting in Dublin at the end of strand two should take place in the Throne Room in Dublin Castle.
Decisions yet to be taken
- Secretary of State's Summary of the Position on the Afternoon of 8 May 1991 (introduced on 1991-05-08 16:23:00 - CREATE_FROM - e823874) [This document]
Document Timeline
- Secretary of State's Summary of the Position on the Afternoon of 8 May 1991 (introduced on 1991-05-08 16:23:00 - CREATE_FROM - e823874) [This document]
[view current proposal at this moment]
- None (introduced on 1991-05-08 16:23:00 - DEBATE_PROPOSAL - e823917) [view current proposal at this moment]