But despite it all we persisted and eventually the Unionist campaign petered out. It did so because their electorate wanted real council representation. So Sinn Fein cannot be denied access to all-party negotiations because of this threat from the Unionist leadership. If the Unionists do walk out they know the door will not be locked behind them. If they walk out they know they will have to walk back in again.
Peace is the issue here.
When the British announce publicly that there can be no negotiations without yet another precondition, they merely echo the Unionist position on Sinn Fein's entrance to all-party talks. They used the Unionists as an excuse. They encourage Unionist inertia. These exclusionist attitudes cannot create peace. For Irish republicans the aim has never been the victory of one section of our people over another but a new union of Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter.