NI State Papers: Republicans abandoned violence because it was inconvenient - Alderdice

British Government archives from 1997 have been released by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland 

Republicans decided to abandon violence because it was ‘unsuccessful and inconvenient’, John Alderdice said (Paul Faith/PA)

Republicans abandoned violence because it was “unsuccessful and inconvenient”, one of the architects of the Northern Ireland peace process has said.

John Alderdice led the Alliance Party from 1987 through to the negotiation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.