In the early days of the troubles British governments regarded it as a purely domestic UK issue, only gradually conceding that Dublin also had a role.American involvement became a major factor during the 1990s due to Bill Clinton’s unusually deep personal interest. This international dimension clearly encouraged the IRA in its decommissioning decision, since it was anxious not to incur American wrath in the post-11 September world.The arrival of such new elements has provided greater fluidity, since the problem was no longer narrowly defined as a simplistic Protestants versus Catholics or the IRA against the British. With more elements in play, more creative approaches became possible, with more pressure available to bring to bear on the intransigent.While open international diplomacy can help, secret talks can also play a part. Conservative governments headed by John Major and indeed Margaret Thatcher both allowed British intelligence to keep up contacts with the IRA.These were not decisive in the peace process but they did convey a sense that, despite the harsh rhetoric deployed against each other in public, the two sides were interested in conducting a private reconnaissance of each other’s positions.The key concept that paved the way for the progress of recent years was that of political inclusivity. When republicans began to emit signals, in the late 1980s, that they were interested in dialogue they were generally spurned.One of the very few who responded positively was John Hume, leader of the SDLP. In an extraordinary move, given that his party were Sinn Fein’s rivals for the nationalist vote, he opened contacts with the republicans despite the continuing IRA violence.It was a move which would eventually earn him the Nobel peace prize, but at the time it brought a torrent of condemnation on his head. He had broken what was then the cardinal rule that politicians should not talk to “the men of violence”.It was some years before Mr Hume was proved right.

His basic thesis was that those using terrorist violence should, if they were prepared to change, be brought into the political system and given every help and encouragement to shift from the gun into politics. Prodigal sons, in other words, should be made welcome.This week’s act of decommissioning was made possible by the fact that Gerry Adams was able to demonstrate to the IRA that politics works. Sinn Fein has prospered in recent years, showing the militarists that politics can achieve more than violence.One lesson from this is that a peace process can develop even though it may contain internal imbalances. The process emerged from within Irish republicanism and nationalism: originally it left British governments and Unionists cold.It was only gradually that London and Unionism became persuaded of the potential merits of the process.

David Trimble is today one of those leading the process but early on he opposed it.One of the greatest dangers to the Irish process comes from the fact that opinion within Unionism remains deeply divided about the whole idea, with half or more Unionists against it. This means that survival of the process has often seemed precarious.The hope of its supporters is that the IRA decommissioning will now bring to it a stability which it has not so far enjoyed As all this implies, a peace process is a journey. The Irish experience has been that killings have fallen sharply in recent years, but they have not entirely ceased: the process in other words is valuable but imperfect.History, geography and a host of other factors dictate that Northern Ireland is never going to be a tranquil, placid place. There is still much hate around, but now it coexists with hope.Former US Senator George Mitchell summed up the process with words at once cautionary and hopeful: “It’s good not to get too high at the good moments, nor to get too low at the bad moments. This has been centuries in the making; it will be years in the changing.”. The BBC has been accused of threatening to pull the plug on tonight’s awards ceremony for the best and most innovative teachers in Britain unless the organisers sugared the pill with a host of celebrities. The BBC has been accused of threatening to pull the plug on tonight’s awards ceremony for the best and most innovative teachers in Britain unless the organisers sugared the pill with a host of celebrities.
Lord Puttnam, the chairman of the General Teaching Council, has written to Liberal Democrat MP Phil Willis explaining that politicians are banned from the televised Teaching Awards ceremony in favour of TV personalities.”In order to secure a prime time slot of BBC 1, we’ve had to concede that they will all be presented by what the BBC term ‘celebrities’ and that there will be no direct political involvement in the ceremony,” writes Lord Putt-nam, the film producer who set up the awards scheme three years ago.”I’m sure you’ll agree this is a small price to pay in order to allow the contribution of all of these outstanding teachers to be seen by the widest possible television audience.”As a result, there will be no scientists, artists, writers or education ministers handing out the awards, known as Platos.

Instead, viewers will see teachers receiving their prizes from 10 personalities including actresses Sue Johnston and Joanna Lumley, and footballer Sol Campbell. Secretary of State for Education, Estelle Morris, will attend the event at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, but even she has been barred from the podium.Mr Willis, Lib Dem spokesman for education, and a former teacher, is furious at the decision to exclude the main education spokespeople in Parliament, who have been allowed to hand out prizes in the previous two years.”I’m a great supporter of the awards but I find it shabby, really, that the public broadcasting system should do this. Here we are, presenting a huge celebration of success in schools on behalf of thousands of teachers. Quite frankly, we all need to be involved in that,” he said.In response, however, Lord Puttnam took personal responsibility for the decision to use an all-star cast of presenters, despite his letter to Mr Willis. He said that the BBC and the Teaching Awards Trust are in agreement that the awards must be seen as politically neutral.”What I want to do is make absolutely sure that the teaching awards are fireproof in the event of a change of government,” he said “Teaching is certainly bigger than politicians. It can’t be reduced to the whims and caprices of individual politicians.”A spokesman for the BBC said: “Having well-known and respected personalities who all wish to say something about the important contribution of teachers will make the Platos a very special occasion.” The show, presented by Carol Smillie, goes out next Sunday.Mr Willis, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, is boycotting theceremony, as is his daughter Rachel Willis, who plays Connie, the TV face of internet service provider AOL..