Government papers: Blair was urged to meet Order leaders to influence protestant voters over Good Friday Agreement

Prime minister Tony Blair was encouraged to meet Orange Order leaders in 1998 to “influence positively” Protestant voters who had yet to make up their minds about the Good Friday Agreement.
By Jonathan McCambridge, PA
Published 29th Dec 2022, 00:10 BST
Orange Order Grand Master, Robert Saulters. Prime Minister Tony Blair was encouraged to meet with Orange Order leaders in 1998 to "influence positively" Protestant voters who had yet to make up their minds about the Good Friday Agreement.Orange Order Grand Master, Robert Saulters. Prime Minister Tony Blair was encouraged to meet with Orange Order leaders in 1998 to "influence positively" Protestant voters who had yet to make up their minds about the Good Friday Agreement.
Orange Order Grand Master, Robert Saulters. Prime Minister Tony Blair was encouraged to meet with Orange Order leaders in 1998 to "influence positively" Protestant voters who had yet to make up their minds about the Good Friday Agreement.

The Orange Order leadership had sought a meeting with Mr Blair following the signing of the historic peace agreement, but before the public on both sides of the Irish border had voted in a referendum on the political deal.

Papers reveal that the order had been offered meetings with the then-secretary of state Mo Mowlam and Northern Ireland Office (NIO) ministers, but had held out for a face-to-face meeting with Mr Blair to express their concerns over the agreement.

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Ms Mowlam's private secretary wrote to Mr Blair's private secretary on April 30 1998, stating: “John McCrea, the Grand Secretary of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, has contacted the Northern Ireland Office to request a meeting between the Prime Minister and the representatives of the Grand Orange Lodges of England, Scotland and Ireland to discuss aspects of the Belfast Agreement.

“This follows an offer by my Secretary of State to meet representatives of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, who had declared publicly that they wanted clarification of elements of the Agreement.

“The local Grand Lodge declined this offer on the grounds that the Agreement raises issues which are of concern to members of the Orange Order throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland; hence this request for a meeting with the Prime Minister.”

The letter continued: “Those on the list representing the Grand Lodge of Ireland have been amongst the more active in attempting to persuade the Orange Order to moderate their position on the Agreement (though they have not gone as far as to recommend their members accept it).

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“Given the commitment of these individuals to keeping the Orange Order on a moderate course, Dr Mowlam thinks it would be well worth the Prime Minister's time to meet them.

“The sooner it could be arranged the better.”

Orange Order leaders including Robert Saulters, John McCrea, Denis Watson and George Patton were expected to attend.

The file also includes a note from Mr Blair's diary secretary stating that the "Prime Minister will meet the Grand Orange Lodges of England, Scotland and Ireland on Thursday May 7 after cabinet".

Related topics:Tony BlairPrime MinisterProtestantIreland