Protestants Opposing Ulster Accord to Meet With Blair
British officials said Saturday that Prime Minister Tony Blair has agreed to meet with members of Northern Ireland’s Orange Order after the influential Protestant organization announced it is rejecting the peace accord for the province struck in April.
“There will be a meeting at Downing Street on Thursday,” a spokesman for Blair said. He said the talks had been requested by members of the Orange Order.
Under a headline of 5-inch-tall letters declaring “NO,” the monthly Orange Standard newspaper distributed Saturday urged the group’s 50,000 members to vote against the Good Friday peace deal, which was brokered by Blair and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, in a referendum May 22.
The Protestant group said earlier Saturday that it could not accept the agreement, which endorses Britain’s links with the province while building cross-border bridges with the Irish Republic.
It said the accord, thrashed out April 10 between Northern Ireland’s eight main Protestant and Roman Catholic parties, would fundamentally damage and weaken the province’s links with Britain and would act as a steppingstone to Irish unification.
Blair’s spokesman declined to discuss whether the prime minister will try to convince the group to change its attitude during the Thursday session but said: “Obviously we’re looking ahead to the referendum. We’ve always maintained it [the peace deal] is the best opportunity for a lasting settlement.”
Blair plans to campaign this week in Northern Ireland for a yes vote, possibly alongside his Conservative Party predecessor, John Major.
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