The Collapse of Stormont

The collapse of the Stormont Parliament in 1972 was a crucial moment in the history of Northern Ireland, marking the end of 50 years of unionist-dominated self-government. This event was driven by a combination of escalating violence during the Troubles, political mismanagement, and growing pressures from both the nationalist and unionist communities.

Background and Context

• The Stormont Parliament was established in 1921 as part of the Government of Ireland Act, which created Northern Ireland as a separate entity within the United Kingdom.
• From the beginning, Stormont was dominated by the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), which represented the interests of the Protestant Unionist majority who wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom.
• The UUP's control over Stormont allowed them to implement policies that often discriminated against the Catholic, nationalist minority, who sought greater equality and, for many, a united Ireland.
• Throughout the 1960s, the Catholic community began to demand civil rights, including equal voting rights, fair housing allocation, and an end to gerrymandering, which skewed political representation in favour of Protestants.
• These demands led to the formation of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) and a series of peaceful protests. However, these protests were often met with violent responses from the police and loyalists, which led to increased tensions.
• By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the situation in Northern Ireland had deteriorated significantly. The rise of paramilitary groups like the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and loyalist groups such as the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) led to widespread violence.
• The introduction of internment in 1971, which allowed the arrest and detention of suspected IRA members without trial, further inflamed tensions, as it was almost exclusively used against Catholics.
• The policy was deeply unpopular and led to mass protests, culminating in Bloody Sunday on 30 January 1972, when British soldiers shot and killed 14 unarmed civil rights protesters in Derry/Londonderry.

The Decision to Suspend Stormont

• By early 1972, the Northern Ireland government, led by Brian Faulkner, was struggling to maintain control.
• The violence had escalated to unprecedented levels, with nearly 500 people killed in 1972 alone, making it the bloodiest year of the Troubles.
• The British government, led by Prime Minister Edward Heath, was increasingly concerned about the situation and the inability of Stormont to handle the crisis.
  • On 24 March 1972, in response to the growing unrest and the failure of the Northern Ireland government to restore order, Edward Heath took the dramatic step of suspending the Stormont Parliament.
  • This decision marked the end of the unionist majority's control over Northern Ireland and placed the region under direct rule from London.

• For many unionists, the suspension of Stormont was a devastating blow, as it meant the loss of self-government and direct control over Northern Ireland's affairs.
• For nationalists, however, it was seen as a necessary step towards addressing the injustices they had faced under unionist rule.

The Aftermath and Impact

• Following the suspension of Stormont, the British government assumed full control of Northern Ireland's governance through the Northern Ireland Office, headed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
• William Whitelaw was appointed as the first Secretary of State, and his role was to oversee the administration of Northern Ireland and to seek a political solution to the conflict.
• Direct rule from London was intended to be a temporary measure, but it lasted for nearly 26 years.
• During this period, various attempts were made to restore a devolved government to Northern Ireland, including the Sunningdale Agreement in 1973, which proposed a power-sharing executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland.
• However, strong opposition from both unionists and nationalists led to the collapse of the agreement, and the violence continued.
• The collapse of Stormont in 1972 marked a turning point in the Troubles, as it signalled the failure of the Northern Ireland government to manage the escalating conflict.
• The move to direct rule was an acknowledgment by the British government that the existing political structures were no longer viable and that a new approach was needed to bring peace to Northern Ireland.
• The suspension of Stormont also underscored the deep divisions within Northern Irish society and the challenges of finding a political solution that could satisfy both the unionist and nationalist communities.

• Ultimately, it would take decades of further negotiations and continued violence before a lasting peace agreement was reached with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which finally restored the devolved government to Northern Ireland.
• The collapse of Stormont in 1972 remains a key moment in the history of the Troubles, reflecting the complexities and difficulties of governing a deeply divided society.