Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron spell Side ( born April 6, 1926 in Armagh, Northern Ireland ) is a Presbyterian minister and politician in Northern Ireland. From 2007 to 2008 he served as First Minister, the Northern Ireland Executive.
Biography
Paisley founded, after studying theology in the early 1950s, the Free Presbyterian Church and was elected its speaker (german moderator ). He also founded his own newspaper, Protestant Telegraph. Today's (2014) largest Protestant Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist Party (. DUP, English Democratic Unionist Party ) goes back to him; he was its chairman from 1971 to 2008.
In the 1960s he fought against a rapprochement between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland ( talks between the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Terence O'Neill and the Irish politician Sean Lemass ). He campaigned against the equality of the Catholic- Irish from Northern Ireland. Since his youth, he opposed any cooperation with Catholics as a " pact with the devil." As the Northern Ireland Parliament was dissolved in 1972 under the British Prime Minister Edward Heath, Paisley opposed it. Also the agreement of Sunningdale ( a tripartite agreement between the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland) wanted to prevent Paisley. The plan was an Irish Council ( engl. Council of Ireland ) to create the arrangements for Ireland and Northern Ireland could have chosen. The organizers of a major strike (English Ulster Worker's Strike ), in which the water and was taken power, appealed to him. The Agreement of Sunningdale did not materialize.
After the founding of Paisley DUP 1970 to the British House of Commons, elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1979 and the European Parliament. He belonged to the European Parliament in 25 years. Unforgettable is his first appearance in Parliament, in which he noisily complained that the Union Jack in front of the Parliament building on the head ( "upside down" ) was raised.
When in 1985 the Anglo - Irish Treaty came (English Anglo-Irish Agreement), he opposed it. Under the slogan " Northern Ireland says no! " ( Ulster Says No! ) Paisley organized large public rallies with his rival from the Ulster Unionist Party, James ( Jim) Molyneaux. Later he founded a paramilitary unit " third force " (English Third force), but the dissolved again soon. The political danger in it looks Paisley, Ireland and the United Kingdom could act together over the heads of the ( Protestant ) population of Northern Ireland away.
The negotiations for the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 Paisley was invited, but his DUP withdrew immediately, as well as Gerry Adams and his Sinn Féin appeared. As the result, it was found both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland to the vote, Paisley called on the electorate not to approve the referendum. They did it anyway.
Since 2005, Ian Paisley is a member of the British Privy Council ( Privy Council ).
Quite early, it was assumed that he would be elected in all probability in May 2007, the First Minister of Northern Ireland. His lack of willingness to talk against the Sinn Féin blocked a long time the formation of a party government. On 8 May 2007, Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army ( IRA), as a Government formed the Northern Irish party government. In the cabinet the DUP occupied five ministerial posts, the Sinn Féin sent four ministers, while the Protestant party Ulster Unionist Party and the two Catholic Social Democratic and Labour Party have to have a cabinet seat. Unanimous in Paisley and McGuinness were already at this point in harassing the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, lower the corporate tax to 12.5 percent in order to stimulate the economy, as in the Republic of Ireland. Although Paisley towards downright friendly was outwardly against the former opponent, saying the remarks Robin Newton, the parliamentary leader of the DUP, a different language: " It is the policy of the DUP to talk to Sinn Féin only formal relationships in the various committees. "
On 4 March 2008 Paisley announced his resignation both as First Minister of Northern Ireland as well as chairman of the DUP for the next May. Paisley was last within the DUP as controversial, after his son Ian Paisley Jr., who was widely regarded as Paisley's right hand, was involved in political scandals and mid-February 2008 had to give up his government post. Paisley said but that his resignation would have no connection with this affair.
Criticism of Paisley
On Paisley blockade is the failure of various attempts to improve the situation in Northern Ireland, due. His enemies shall Paisley as a hardliner, a blocker from the consciousness of election.
Private
Paisley and his wife Eileen have five children. In July 2004, the family informed, Paisley was ill, but were not known to what disease it was all about.
Others
When Pope John Paul II in 1988 gave a speech to the European Parliament, Paisley suddenly stood up and shouted, "Antichrist, I denounce you and your false teaching " ( Antichrist, I condemn you and your perverted doctrine ). At the same time he kept a poster, what was " POPE JOHN PAUL II ANTICHRIST " ( Pope John Paul II Antichrist). After Paisley was asked to leave the room, the Pope went on with his speech.