Felix the Cat
12-18-2009, 07:28 PM
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-UlsterVanguard.html
Ulster Vanguard, launched in early 1972 by William Craig (b. 1924), the former minister for home affairs whose handling of the civil rights movement (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-civilrightsmovement.html) had led to his dismissal by Terence O'Neill (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-ONeillTerence.html) in December 1968. Vanguard was designed as a means of unifying and directing a then highly fissile loyalism. From the start it was associated with a trenchant opposition to direct rule (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-directrule.html), and with a highly militant rhetoric: it had close connections with paramilitary loyalism, and in 1972–3 possessed its own paramilitary wing, the Vanguard Service Corps. Craig's militancy and unpredictability, and his emphasis on the possibility of independence for Northern Ireland, pushed him to the margins of unionism. The movement crystallized into a formal political party (the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party) in March 1973, profiting briefly from the divisions within mainstream unionism. However, the VUPP itself split when Craig—in opposition to the majority of his party—supported the idea of a voluntary coalition with the SDLP. In 1977 the dissidents regrouped under Ernest Baird as the United Ulster Unionist Movement. Vanguard ceased to function as a separate party in February 1978, and reverted to its origins as a loyalist pressure group. Although Craig returned to the Ulster Unionist Party, he continued to pursue a highly individualistic agenda. His principal lieutenant, David Trimble, was more thoroughly reintegrated into the unionist mainstream, becoming leader of the Ulster Unionist Party in September 1995. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_Unionist_Progressive_Party
The Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party (VUPP), informally known as Ulster Vanguard, was a unionist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unionism_in_Ireland) political party which existed in Northern Ireland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland) between 1973 and 1978. It was closely affiliated with several loyalist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_loyalism) paramilitary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramilitary) groups.
It had its roots in the Vanguard or Ulster Vanguard wing of the Ulster Unionist Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Unionist_Party) (UUP) who were opposed to the policies of the party's leader and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Northern_Ireland), Brian Faulkner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Faulkner). The Ulster Vanguard movement was originally a political pressure group within the UUP. It was formed on 9 February 1972 [1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_Unionist_Progressive_Party#cite_note-0) and was led by William Craig (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Craig_%28politician%29) (former Minister of Home Affairs at Stormont (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Northern_Ireland)) with its deputy leaders the Rev. Martin Smyth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Smyth) and the former Stormont MP for Carrick, Captain Austin Ardill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Ardill). [2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_Unionist_Progressive_Party#cite_note-1) At its first meeting in Lisburn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisburn), on 13 February 1972, Craig made the first of a number of bellicose pronouncements, declaring "God help those who get in our way for we mean business." [3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_Unionist_Progressive_Party#cite_note-2)
After the suspension of the Stormont Parliament (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Northern_Ireland), Faulkner moved towards a policy of power-sharing with nationalist and non-sectarian politicians under the Sunningdale Agreement (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunningdale_Agreement). In opposition to this many in the Ulster Unionists broke away and founded a separate Vanguard Party, with William Craig as the leader.
(...)
Vanguard strongly criticised the imposition of direct rule and in its booklet 'Ulster – A Nation' published in April 1972, it pledged "resistance to an undemocratic and un-British regime" and suggested the possibility of a Federal British Isles. [9]
At the Darlington Conference in September 1972, held to discuss various constitutional options for Northern Ireland, they proposed the restoration of the Northern Ireland Parliament as a single chamber assembly with a committee system to ensure greater participation by all parties. Internal security responsibilities would be restored however there would be a Bill of Rights to safeguard the rights of minorities. [10]
It demanded the "extermination" of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and a reversal of the reforms introduced by Brian Faulkner and his predecessor, and in a booklet published in late 1972 entitled 'Community of the British Isles' it even flirted with the idea of full independence for Northern Ireland albeit within a structure which would also include Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. [11]
In late 1973 it rejected the idea of compulsory power sharing with Irish Nationalists and consequently refused invitations to take part in the conferences which led to the Sunningdale Agreement. [12]
In their 1974 Westminster manifesto, they called for the more mainstream Unionist option of either devolved government with full security responsibilities or full integration into the UK. [10]
However there were occasions when it did not follow the same course as other right-wing or unionist parties. For example in the 1975 referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the-then European Economic Community, it campaigned for the United Kingdom to remain a member whilst the other Unionist parties campaigned for withdrawal.
Ulster Vanguard, launched in early 1972 by William Craig (b. 1924), the former minister for home affairs whose handling of the civil rights movement (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-civilrightsmovement.html) had led to his dismissal by Terence O'Neill (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-ONeillTerence.html) in December 1968. Vanguard was designed as a means of unifying and directing a then highly fissile loyalism. From the start it was associated with a trenchant opposition to direct rule (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O245-directrule.html), and with a highly militant rhetoric: it had close connections with paramilitary loyalism, and in 1972–3 possessed its own paramilitary wing, the Vanguard Service Corps. Craig's militancy and unpredictability, and his emphasis on the possibility of independence for Northern Ireland, pushed him to the margins of unionism. The movement crystallized into a formal political party (the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party) in March 1973, profiting briefly from the divisions within mainstream unionism. However, the VUPP itself split when Craig—in opposition to the majority of his party—supported the idea of a voluntary coalition with the SDLP. In 1977 the dissidents regrouped under Ernest Baird as the United Ulster Unionist Movement. Vanguard ceased to function as a separate party in February 1978, and reverted to its origins as a loyalist pressure group. Although Craig returned to the Ulster Unionist Party, he continued to pursue a highly individualistic agenda. His principal lieutenant, David Trimble, was more thoroughly reintegrated into the unionist mainstream, becoming leader of the Ulster Unionist Party in September 1995. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_Unionist_Progressive_Party
The Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party (VUPP), informally known as Ulster Vanguard, was a unionist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unionism_in_Ireland) political party which existed in Northern Ireland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland) between 1973 and 1978. It was closely affiliated with several loyalist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_loyalism) paramilitary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramilitary) groups.
It had its roots in the Vanguard or Ulster Vanguard wing of the Ulster Unionist Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Unionist_Party) (UUP) who were opposed to the policies of the party's leader and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Northern_Ireland), Brian Faulkner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Faulkner). The Ulster Vanguard movement was originally a political pressure group within the UUP. It was formed on 9 February 1972 [1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_Unionist_Progressive_Party#cite_note-0) and was led by William Craig (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Craig_%28politician%29) (former Minister of Home Affairs at Stormont (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Northern_Ireland)) with its deputy leaders the Rev. Martin Smyth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Smyth) and the former Stormont MP for Carrick, Captain Austin Ardill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Ardill). [2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_Unionist_Progressive_Party#cite_note-1) At its first meeting in Lisburn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisburn), on 13 February 1972, Craig made the first of a number of bellicose pronouncements, declaring "God help those who get in our way for we mean business." [3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_Unionist_Progressive_Party#cite_note-2)
After the suspension of the Stormont Parliament (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliament_of_Northern_Ireland), Faulkner moved towards a policy of power-sharing with nationalist and non-sectarian politicians under the Sunningdale Agreement (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunningdale_Agreement). In opposition to this many in the Ulster Unionists broke away and founded a separate Vanguard Party, with William Craig as the leader.
(...)
Vanguard strongly criticised the imposition of direct rule and in its booklet 'Ulster – A Nation' published in April 1972, it pledged "resistance to an undemocratic and un-British regime" and suggested the possibility of a Federal British Isles. [9]
At the Darlington Conference in September 1972, held to discuss various constitutional options for Northern Ireland, they proposed the restoration of the Northern Ireland Parliament as a single chamber assembly with a committee system to ensure greater participation by all parties. Internal security responsibilities would be restored however there would be a Bill of Rights to safeguard the rights of minorities. [10]
It demanded the "extermination" of the Provisional Irish Republican Army and a reversal of the reforms introduced by Brian Faulkner and his predecessor, and in a booklet published in late 1972 entitled 'Community of the British Isles' it even flirted with the idea of full independence for Northern Ireland albeit within a structure which would also include Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. [11]
In late 1973 it rejected the idea of compulsory power sharing with Irish Nationalists and consequently refused invitations to take part in the conferences which led to the Sunningdale Agreement. [12]
In their 1974 Westminster manifesto, they called for the more mainstream Unionist option of either devolved government with full security responsibilities or full integration into the UK. [10]
However there were occasions when it did not follow the same course as other right-wing or unionist parties. For example in the 1975 referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the-then European Economic Community, it campaigned for the United Kingdom to remain a member whilst the other Unionist parties campaigned for withdrawal.