BBC bias against true Irish independence

According to the BBC's Ireland correspondent Mark Simpson it was about the determination of Ulster Protestants to remain within the United Kingdom.

In fact, the Home Rule Bill, against which the Covenant was directed, would merely have introduced a form of devolution for Ireland, not independence.

Numerous powers would have remained in London, Ireland would still have sent MPs to Westminster and all laws passed by the devolved Irish parliament would have been subject to Westminster's approval. Ireland would have remained in the UK.

The Tory Party, which had been out of office for many years, was using home rule to try to oust the Liberals.

They were stirring up the fears of Protestant workers that they would lose their privileged position in the labour market and their religious freedom.

The Tories organised Protestants into a military force that openly threatened insurrection against the Liberal government. They got away with it and the threat of violence was rewarded.

Britain abandoned home rule and partitioned Ireland instead. This fatal episode set off a pattern of violence and counter-violence that is not over yet.

The radio programme also repeated the lie that Ireland eventually got its independence.

This is only true if you accept that independence for part of a country is the same as independence for all of it.

The old saying still holds - the Irish can't forget their history because the English refuse to remember it.

Ken Keable
Stoke-sub-Hamdon