Domhnall

I had this book on my 'to read pile' and would have turned to it in time, but suddenly - on 9th June 2017 - it leapt to my attention as Theresa May announced her desire to form a government with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party, which of course was Paisley's bequest to our political zoo. It is suddenly a hot issue to take a closer look at this party, so tiny in UK terms (10 Parliamentary seats from 650) but so crucial to the power sharing agreement that stands between the people of Ulster and a return to barbarism.

In order to understand Paisley's career it is necessary to accept the internal logic and the local context through which it unfolded over more than sixty turbulent years. This book takes seriously his religious and his political opinions and seeks some explanation for the trajectory of this career. It is not, therefore, as angy as it might have been, does not dwell as severely as it might have done on his failings and his share of responsibility for the mayhem around him. Similarly, it describes his evangelical and puritanical religious doctrines in respectful tones, on the basis that it is necessary to appreciate them if we are to understand how they shaped Paisley's contribution to Ulster's political and cultural life. It evaluates many of the key allegations that have been levelled against Paisley [especially the degree of his responsibility, if any, for sectarian violence] and delivers verdicts that are arguably generous but not without support. It gives a number of insights into the nature of the power sharing agreement which produced a ceasefire, disarming and commitment to democratic politics on the part of the key Catholic and Protestant terrorist groups. It describes Paisley's final incarnation as one half of the Chuckle Brothers, working alongside Martin McGuinesss to make a serious stab at building a new and inclusive politics for Ulster. Finally, it remarks on his legacy, with the rueful suggestion that the Democratic Unionist Party is less effective with his departure, while the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster is still prospering but working in less fertile soil, competing with both growing secularism and new, charismatic Christian rivals.

Paisley is a divisive figure in recent Irish and British history, a euphemistic appraisal by any standard. It is worth taking the trouble to appreciate him on his own terms, before returning to the unavoidable battle of ideas. This book lowers the heat and permits a calm appraisal. It does not demand our agreement - only our attention. I found it well worth reading.

To return to my opening comment, the conclusion I reach is that Theresa May is not well advised to lend the DUP such a priviliged and powerful position in UK politics. If their support for her failing government produces a focus on all their most unpleasant qualities, and that is necessary and unavoidable in its context, this is really not a desirable situation at all and it is not healthy for the people and politics of Ulster. It is so easy to breed hate and so hard to build trust.