Letters: Reminded of speech about UK having no selfish interest in NI

I read with interest the editor’s column on Saturday ‘Unionism needs help, not a Neutral Ireland Office (NIO),’ October 29.

Peter Brooke’s famous/ infamous “No selfish or strategic or economic interest” speech made in 1990 seemed, on reflection, to suggest what many of us had long suspected – that the Brits really didn’t care. Personally I remember him best addressing Conservative Conference as our secretary of state – announcing his latest efforts in the Province and declaring proudly “And in this we are at one with Labour”.

The Conservative delegates clapped and cheered.

If a Conservative Minister in a different department had said such a thing about one of their polices they would have been driven from the podium and then from Office.

Felicity Huston, Belfast