The Sunningdale executive and the Ulster Workers' Council strike: 50 years on.

Poor protestants ( and there were plenty) had the same rights as poor catholics. And while far from perfect, the way to change things was by peaceful means. And by the mid 1970's there was anti-discrimination legislation and no need for the pira armed campaign, which ultimately did not achieve its objective anyway of "Brits Out".

There were cameras and journalists in the late 1950s and early 1960s too, but one of the reasons the IRA border campaign of '56 to '62 failed was because a total of 256 Republicans were interned in Northern Ireland in this period and another 150 or so in the Republic.

Internment and application of law and order ensured the border campaign was over by 1962.

There was nothing inevitable about the failed armed struggle and murder of thousands of people, it should never have happened and there was no need for "the armed struggle". Most nationalists during the troubles did not vote for SF, the pIRA did not have a mandate.

You are quite correct. Most nationalists did not vote for the failed IRA border campaign 1956-'62 or the failed pIRA campaign of the troubles "the armed struggle", but they still happened.

Most nationalists did not vote for the Bloody Friday, Le Mons, Enniskillen, Kingsmill etc etc but they still happened.

Even in the UDR there were 18% Catholics at the start of the troubles, despite intimidation from some people in their home areas not to join. Not surprising the minority in N. Ireland grew in the 1950's, 1960s, 1970s. Here south of the border the minority shrank, there were virtually no minorities in government jobs here in the fifties and sixties etc.

In N.I. Sinn Fein did not even have any MPs until Adams was elected in 1983. In that era, SF did not have any TDs here either, south of the border, its support was that small.

Because of para-militaries, and those who did not obey the rule of law, many thousands were killed and injured. Hard line Republicans did not want to take part in democracy, as seen by the results of the 1973 referendum. Yes, there was a referendum, and everyone was entitled to vote.

A lot more complicated than that.  A large percentage of the population were outraged that the Republic was to have a say in Northern Ireland and demanded that the agreement be scrapped, and very little was open in the whole of the 6 counties. Had there not been a ira campaign in the previous few years, things would have been different and calmer.

What action do you think the British government could have taken against the strikers?

Do not forget the Executive ordered the army to commandeer the petrol stations and all the oil facilities in N Ireland. The UWC response was to close every business, that had remained open, in N. Ireland. The 6 counties came to a complete standstill. No petrol / oil / even food was getting scarce. When Faulkner appealed in failure to the Secretary of State to negotiate with the strikers, and faced with economic ruin, the Unionist Executive members resigned. What happened was the Executive collapsed and N. Ireland was ruled again directly from London

How would you have kept oil, power / food flowing, if you were the British government? It had a hard enough job as it was trying to keep the peace, and was being attacked by both sides. With fatalities.

You did not answer the question.