David Trimble
David Trimble
William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC, is a British politician who was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002, and the leader of the Ulster Unionist Partyfrom 1995 to 2005. He was also the Member of Parliament for Upper Bann from 1990 to 2005 and the Member of the Legislative Assemblyfor Upper Bann from 1998 to 2007. In 2006, he was made a life peer in the House of Lords and a year later left the...
NationalityIrish
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth15 October 1944
CityBangor, Northern Ireland
CountryIreland
The dark shadow we seem to see in the distance is not really a mountain ahead, but the shadow of the mountain behind - a shadow from the past thrown forward into our future. It is a dark sludge of historical sectarianism. We can leave it behind us if we wish.
There are two traditions in Northern Ireland. There are two main religious denominations. But there is only one true moral denomination. And it wants peace.
We realize that in proceeding we will be involved directly or indirectly ... in a process that involves Sinn Fein.
We hope that they can, as they have done in the past, improve on what the IRA has done,
We have stretched ourselves remarkably in the circumstances, ... It is also obvious there is a limit to how far we can stretch ourselves without an adequate response being made in the circumstances.
We have still not secured any commitment (on IRA disarmament) that would be recognized by unionists. We consider that the guarantees are weak.
We have started and we will go on. and we will go on all the better if we walk rather than run. Sometimes we will stumble but this will not matter.
The present situation is appalling. There is a serious danger that the problems could spread to other schools in the area.
We can't have a situation where people are turning a blind eye to violence or allowing people to participate in the talks on an entirely false basis.
We've done our bit, and Mr. Adams, it's over to you. We've jumped. You follow,
We haven't given up, nor will we give up. We will endeavor to see what we can do to reach an accommodation,
Our view is that the review should be tightly focused on something -- that is, focused on the key issues that have caused the difficulties, primarily on decommissioning and also on the question of devolution,
We are dealing here with a conflict of rights; there's right on both sides.
There are parts of this agreement that we are not happy with. But we have judged that we have enough here to build on.