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Writing Peace: The National Archives of the UK (TNA)

Cover Letter Enclosing Gerry Adam's Response to Peter Brooke's Whitbread Speech on 9 November 1990

Friday, 23 November 1990

i22812

This cover letter encloses the transcript of Gerry Adams' response to Peter Brooke's Whitbread speech from 9 November 1990, and offers brief comments on the nature of the response. Parts of the text are annotated.

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DATE: 23 November 1990

cc: PS/MofS (B and L)
PS/PUS (B and L)
PS/Sir Kenneth Bloomfield
Mr Ledlie
Mr Pilling
Mr Thomas
Mr Alston
Mr A Wilson
Mr McNeill
Mr Bell
Mr Marsh
SF27-26-1
PF23

PS/Secretary of State (B and L)

PROVISIONAL'S RESPONSE TO THE "WHITBREAD" SPEECH

We have obtained a full text of Gerry Adams' response to the Secretary of State's speech on 9 November. This is attached.

2, The tone and content are depressingly familiar offering little for our comfort. Some sections are directly lifted from Sinn Fein's standard references on this subject "Scenario for Peace" which was first issued in May 1987.

3. What is of interest is that Sinn Fein felt it necessary to respond quickly and at length to the Secretary of State's speech. To that extent we do have them dancing to our tune. However there is no sign of a serious intention to abjure violence before entering on political debate, unless we foreclose the option of the inhabitants of Northern Ireland being allowed a separate vote on their future.