Heath prorogued Stormont in 1972, lasting 28 years
In 1972 Prime Minister Edward Heath prorogued the Northern Ireland Parliament for 12 months — which for a short interim period, lasted for 26 years.
It transpired that Ted Heath prorogued the Northern Ireland Parliament and introduced direct rule to enable the British government to enter into ‘secret negotiations’ with the army council of the provisional IRA on 7 July 1972 in London.
For not to do so, with two governments in place under one Crown, would have led to outrageous constitutional conflict between Stormont and Westminster.
Indeed, at the time there were massive civil demonstrations by the deposed government of Brian Faulkner and the unionist population which were mainly peaceful.
The British government led by Ted Heath had secured its ‘coup’.
Prorogation is not a legal process overseen by the courts.
It is an imperative — a royal command.
With the ruling of the Supreme Court on September 24 2019 of Prime Minister Boris Johnston’s proroguing parliament being unlawful, has the Supreme Court unilaterally taken upon itself a responsibility which constitutionally it does not possess?
Morrison W Woods, Bangor, Co Down