THE return of the late Harold Wilson's Labour government raised the hopes of civil rights campaigners in Northern Ireland of major reforms, according to confidential cabinet files released in Belfast. However, the Wilson government stood by the Westminster Convention that such issues as discrimination and gerrymandering were for the internal" consideration of the Northern government.
In September 1964, on the eve of his party's electoral victory, Wilson replied to Patricia McCluskey, chairperson of the Campaign for Social Justice in Northern Ireland, a middle class pressure group, in broad support of the organisation's aims and objectives.
He wrote: "I agree with you as to the importance of the issues with which your campaign is concerned and can assure you that a Labour government would do everything in its power to see that the infringements of justice to which you are so rightly drawing attention are effectively dealt with. We recognise, however, that in existing circumstances this is no easy task."
The British Labour leader said: "Before steady progress can be made in the effective solution of these problems, there must be changes in the parliamentary representation of Northern Ireland, both at Westminster and at Stormont." He urged support for the Northern Ireland Labour Party which was "strongly opposed to discrimination".
In December 1964, following Labour's narrow victory, Mr Eric Lubbock, a Liberal MP, wrote to the prime minister about cases of gerrymandering and discrimination in housing and employment in Northern Ireland. "Under the Government of Ireland Act," he wrote, "nothing can be done by the Home Secretary about any of these cases, but it occurs to me that they might be prevented by the forthcoming Bill concerned with racial and religious discrimination." He urged the prime minister to focus on this when drafting the legislation.
In his reply to the MP, dated January 7th 1965, Mr Wilson said the aim of the Bill was to prevent racial discrimination in public places, therefore "it is a little difficult to see how your proposals could be properly included, especially as the matters to which we draw attention come within the field of responsibility of the Northern Ireland Government and Parliament". He recalled that Section 5 of the 1920 Act prohibited the Belfast parliament from enacting legislation interfering with religious equality.
Unaware of this, Mrs McCluskey wrote to Mr George Thomas, the Under Secretary at the Home Office in January 1965, rejoicing in Labour's electoral success: "We have been greatly pleased and encouraged by the achievement of your party at the general election and trust that the narrowness of the margin of your victory will be offset by Wilson's capacity to deal with difficulties.
Not for generations has there been such hope in this community and this hope has been created by Mr Wilson's action in recognising the disabilities under which the minority in Northern Ireland has to work."
The new Labour ministers' reluctance to be drawn into the North's "internal affairs" are clear, however; a note states: "Mr Thomas does not propose to reply to this organisation."
The Labour government continued to be subjected to a barrage of complaints from a range of opinion regarding discrimination and gerrymandering in Northern Ireland.
On December 7th 1964, Wilson received a strongly worded letter from Mr Arthur A Calwell, the leader of the opposition in the Australian parliament. Mr Calwell enclosed a document on sectarian discrimination in Fermanagh, alleging local government gerrymandering and systematic, discrimination against Catholics, in public appointments and housing.
The Australian politician said: "The attached document is a compilation of representative figures in Northern Ireland and it shows the shocking state of gerrymandering and sectarian bitterness there. As a democrat, I object to it very much and I would hope that you might be able to do something to persuade the Northern Ireland government that it should be altered and the principle of one man, one vote observed in elections in Northern Ireland - the same principle as is observed in the UK, Australia and New Zealand and the United States of America."
Apparently undaunted by Mr Calwell's letter, Downing Street contacted the Home Office which advised a reply on the same lines as that sent to the veteran Nationalist leader, Mr Cahir Healy.
Accordingly, the prime minister wrote to Mr Calwell on January 14th 1965: "I need hardly say that both the Labour Party and the British government are opposed to all forms of discrimination on religious and other grounds and that we intend to take all action in our power to eliminate it.
"At the same time, I must take into account the fact that matters of this kind fall under the powers of the Government of Ireland Act, 1920, within the field of responsibility of the Northern Ireland Government. In view of the constitutional position, it would not be proper for me to comment on the matters to which you draw attention, or to seek to intervene. The only constitutional course is, I am afraid, for them to be taken up with the appropriate authorities in Northern Ireland."
This week, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland - released to the public, under the 30 year rule, some 2,000 Cabinet files, mostly relating to, 1965. The files include some, dating from earlier periods, mainly the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
A small number of files have been closed for a 10 year period from their cover dates on grounds of sensitivity. Among these is a Cabinet file dated 1964-65 and entitled "International Relations, including those with the Republic of Ireland". Another embargoed file deals with "Exploration and Exploitation of Mineral Resources, 1960-65".