In the grand ballroom of Belfast’s Ramada hotel, a “resurrection” was taking place to the strains of “There will always be an Ulster”. In front of a red, white and blue backdrop, 500 members of the hardline Democratic Unionist party gathered at their annual conference to send a message to Tony Blair. This was, they said, the “great revival” of a once despairing people, betrayed by the Good Friday agreement. Ian Paisley, 77, now the euphoric leader of the biggest party in Northern Ireland, took to the podium in his shirt-sleeves. Less than a week since Mr Blair and his Irish counterpart, Bertie Ahern, vowed that they had a “road-map” to restore devolution to Northern Ireland by the autumn, the most important man in Ulster politics delivered his reply. “This is war, war waged in every sphere!” he boomed. “Every evil force is harnessed to the chariot of vilest treachery and diabolical deception.”Full Story
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