Ahern pays tribute to former British PM

FORMER British Prime Minister Jim Callaghan will be remembered for his good intentions and decency during some of the North’s darkest hours, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said yesterday.

Mr Ahern led tributes to Mr Callaghan, who died on Saturday, on the eve of his 93rd birthday.

“In this country, he will be particularly remembered for his visits to Derry at the height of the Troubles and he was of course, centrally involved both as Home Secretary and as Prime Minister in many decisions that had a profound impact on Northern Ireland.

“Despite the dark and turbulent times in Northern Ireland when he was in office, he will be remembered by many as a well-intentioned and decent man. Jim Callaghan’s wife Audrey died only last week. I express my condolences this evening to the Callaghan family,” Mr Ahern said.

Mr Callaghan’s death at his east Sussex home yesterday came just 11 days after his wife of 67 years, Audrey, passed away. He was the longest-living former British Prime Minister and the only politician to have held all four major offices of state: Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary.

During his time as Home Secretary, the North came centre stage as the campaign for Catholic civil rights gathered pace and violence erupted on the streets of Belfast and Derry.

He was involved in the decision to deploy soldiers in August 1969 following serious disturbances which saw many Protestant and Catholic families burnt out of their homes.

Mr Callaghan visited twice in August and October 1969 as electoral, housing and police reforms were implemented.

Northern Secretary Paul Murphy said Mr Callaghan had been an inspirational figure for many colleagues.

“I had known Jim Callaghan for a quarter of a century and he was always kind and supportive of me personally as a fellow Welsh MP and later when I became a minister,” he said.

Mr Murphy added: “He was a man of great honour, compassion and dignity. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Mr Callaghan was also fondly remembered by Ian Paisley, even if they did not always see eye to eye.

The North Antrim MP said: “He was a decent man. I certainly had a good personal relationship with him.

“When he was on the backbenches he was always keen to talk about Northern Ireland.”

Nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan was more critical. While he acknowledged Mr Callaghan had made a positive intervention as Home Secretary in 1969 the Foyle Assembly member said he should have abolished the government at Stormont at that time.

“He was also the Prime Minister who stuck us with Roy Mason and his anti-political security agenda,” Mr Durkan said.

“Subsequent developments proved that there was much more that he could have done to develop Anglo-Irish relations.”