Sir, - David Trimble's decision to allow US Senator George Mitchell to chair the multi party negotiations is no more than one should expect from a man who previously accepted the Mitchell Report "as a whole", and who recently attended a reception in London in honour of Mary Robinson, President of the Republic of Ireland, in spite of the fact that both the Anglo Irish Agreement and Articles 2 and 3 of Eire's Constitution remain in force.
Whilst Mr Trimble's decision will, no doubt, be greeted with enthusiasm by the liberal wing of the Unionist Party and their allies in the Pan Nationalist Front, to me it represents further evidence of the shameful departure from traditional unionism within the Ulster Unionist Party under David Trimble's leadership.
I did not canvas for the UUP in the 1992 General Election and the 1993 Local Government Elections - any more than I'm sure many voters did not vote for the Ulster Unionist Party in those elections or, for that matter, in the recent Forum Elections - in the belief that the UUP is committed to maintaining the territorial integrity of the United Kingdom, only to have that belief shattered by David Trimble's willingness to bow to every whim and diktat from Pan Nationalist politicians, and outflank John Alderdice and the Alliance Party for being the most accommodating of Irish Nationalism.
Whilst Northern Ireland trembles under Trimble's leadership of the UUP, it is perhaps just as, well that I am only an honorary life member of Queen's University Belfast Ulster Unionist Association and not a full member of the Party, as unless Mr Trimble reverts to traditional Unionist policies and proposals, I would be very tempted to challenge him for the leadership of the Party, just as Lee Reynolds challenged Sir Jim Molyneaux in March 1995. The only difference is that whilst I had every confidence in Sir Jim - even though I do not share his confidence in John Major - I have absolutely no confidence in David Trimble. If Mr Trimble and his ilk wish to embrace Irish Americans, then they should resign from the UUP and join either the Alliance Party or the SDLP. - Yours, etc.,
Royal Tunbridge Wells,
Kent.