TONY BLAIR AND members of his office were interested in having “a good time”, ideally related to U2, during a planned trip to Ireland in 1993, newly released documents show.
Blair, then Shadow Home Secretary and a Member of Parliament for Sedgefield in County Durham, was keen to meet officials in Dublin and Belfast to discuss issues such as the Northern Ireland peace process.
He was widely tipped to become the next leader of the British Labour Party, the main opposition party at the time, and wanted to build relationships with politicians here.
State Papers – official documents from Government departments and the President’s Office – are generally made available to the public 30 years after the fact.
Documents released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) this month detail conversations between Blair’s office and Irish officials as they arranged dates and an itinerary for the proposed visit.
Officials in the DFA were keen to facilitate the visit, describing Blair as “a real force in the Labour Party, youthful, articulate and popular”.
Blair’s team initially put forward the idea that he would travel to Ireland in May 1993 but this was pushed back to June, then July, due to scheduling conflicts.
Eventually it was agreed that Blair would visit Dublin on 22 July, before going to Belfast the next day.
‘A good time’
One DFA memo noted that Roz Preston (her name is incorrectly spelled Ros in the file) from Blair’s office had been in touch to discuss the itinerary.
The document noted that Blair and his team “would like to meet the Tánaiste (Dick Spring) and the Minister for Justice (Máire Geoghegan-Quinn)”.
They were “also attracted by the idea of an ‘off the record’ meeting with a small number of the Irish Lobby correspondents”.
Aside from official business, Preston is quoted as saying the group wanted “a good time”.
The memo noted that Preston was “apparently friendly” with Paul McGuinness, who managed U2 at the time, and other figures in the Irish music industry.
“[She] would like us to plan something for them which would cater for an interest in Irish music aka U2,” the document stated.
Officials in the DFA also discussed the fact that Preston wanted advice on hotel accommodation.
The file noted:
In planning this trip, we have again to steer the thin line between appropriate hospitality and been forced to pick up the tab. [sic]
It added that Tom Bolster, who had worked in the DFA for years, “will be acutely conscious of this”.
Ultimately, the trip was postponed.
A handwritten note by Helena Nolan, an official in the DFA at the time, said that both sides had agreed to defer the visit as Tánaiste Dick Spring would be in Canada at the time. Nolan is now the Consul General of Ireland in New York.
‘Outstanding performer’
In correspondence sent before the visit was postponed, some officials in the DFA praised Blair.
One internal memo dated 10 May 1993 described Blair as “one the most impressive of Labour’s front bench team”.
“He has, in the past, manifested an interest in issues of concern to the Irish community in Britain and in the recent Common’s debate on renewal of the PTA, he turned in a sterling performance, criticising the deficiencies in this particular piece of legislation.”
The PTA refers to the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1989, British legislation which resulted in many innocent Irish people being arrested in the UK on suspicion of terrorism during The Troubles.
Another internal document from 19 May heaped more praise on Blair, noting: “Apart from being a highly effective shadow spokesman in this difficult area, Blair is a real force in the Labour Party, youthful, articulate and popular.
“He is the outstanding performer of the next generation and is often spoken of as a future Labour leader. In his previous role as Shadow Employment spokesman he demonstrated an interest in welfare issues of interest to the Irish community.”
A year later, in 1994, Blair was elected leader of the British Labour Party following the death of John Smith.
Bertie Ahern friendship
While leader of the Opposition, Blair developed a close working relationship with Irish politicians such as Fianna Fáil leader Bertie Ahern – who himself was leader of the Opposition in Ireland at the same time.
Both men were involved in the peace process negotiations while still in opposition and when they became leaders of their respective governments in 1997 they already had a close bond.
A report published earlier this year, Lessons from the Architects of the Good Friday Agreement, detailed the importance of their friendship in terms of getting the agreement over the line in 1998.
The report notes: “Several witnesses commented on the remarkable partnership between Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern. Tim O’Connor, a senior official from the Department of Foreign Affairs, described to the [Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement] how this impacted the broader dynamics, remarking that the two premiers would arrive and go to the same room and sit together, adding ‘they were like brothers’.
“This closeness impacted the broader dynamic of the negotiating teams, with the teams of officials working closely together as a result.
“Jonathan Powell, Chief of Staff to Tony Blair, similarly remarked on the impact of Mr Blair’s and Mr Ahern’s relationship on the wider teams, “First, building that trust with Bertie Ahern was crucial because Tony Blair was able to work seamlessly with him.
“Mr. Ahern did not think we were trying to pull something over on him at any stage. We were not, and vice versa…. once there are good relations between the principals it is much easier to have good relations all the way down the official chain.”
The reference number for these State Papers is 2021/56/23
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