Sir, - It is to be hoped that Westminster will refuse to vote into law the bill to reintroduce direct rule over Northern Ireland. If the Provisional or the Continuity or the Real IRA hand in some weapons, they can all obtain replacements if occasion requires. It is not wise for Mr Mandelson to be seen to be acting to a unionist timetable of decommissioning; if the UUP and DUP are keen for armed republicans to hand in weapons, then unionist politicians should have made visible efforts to ensure that illegal loyalist groups had been disarmed. If those politicians have no power to disarm the UFF and similar bodies, then they should not demand of Mr Adams and his colleagues equally unrealistic tasks.
Re-imposition of direct rule will put the United Kingdom government in breach of the Good Friday Agreement. It will also weaken the faith of non-unionists in the democratic process. Worse, it will throw into question the validity of the modification by referendum of Articles 2 and 3 of the Irish Constitution.
Many in the Republic voted in favour of the changes because they were led to believe that devolution in the North of Ireland would be permanent, characterised by power-sharing in good will, and respectful of both traditions. If direct rule is re-imposed, what used to be called "reintegration of the national territory" will again become a worthy and legitimate aspiration. - Yours, etc., Prof George Huxley,
Church Enstone, Oxfordshire, England.