focussed politics clearly on Ireland and demands clear answers. Eniskillen is simply the most recent in the chain of tragedies in Ireland which have lasted not just since 1968 but for the 800 years of the British presence there.
The government has exploited the deaths at Enniskillen to prop up the Anglo-Irish agreement -which was looking decidedly shaky on its second anniversary with no progress for nationalists in the north. Following Enniskillen Dublin agreed to the British government's key demands - notably on extradition and cross-border security.
Ken Livingstone has been vilified by the media, fed by Neil Kinnock's office, because he had the courage to tell the truth - that the only way to secure peace in Ireland is by ending the British presence there.
There has been a struggle to end the British presence in Ireland since they arrived there. For the Irish people that presence has been an historical catastrophe. Over the centuries it has resulted in famine, endless wars and a colossal rate of emigration due to economic underdevelopment.
Each century the Irish have fought to end the British presence and create the basis for peace and prosperity in Ireland.
As Livingstone said in his speech on Tuesday: "All those who have seriously studied the history of Ireland arrive at only one conclusion, that no purpose is served by the British presence there...The understanding of the necessity to withdraw from Ireland was clearly formed by British governments in the nineteenth century - and tragically blocked from being acted upon at that time those who remained tied to sectarian forces in the north of Ireland. Britain had the opportunity to withdraw from Ireland totally in 1920 - but in an act of dreadful folly decided to remain in six counties in the north!
The partition of Ireland was imposed by Britain by military force. It overturned the result of the 1918 all-Ireland general election when 75 per cent of the Irish people voted for a united, independent Ireland.
The border was arranged to create the largest area with a safe inbuilt unionist majority. It did not include the whole of Ulster, for example, because there would not have been a secure unionist majority.
Britain created in the north of Ireland a statelet whose boundaries were chosen to create and maintain an artificial unionist majority. This was then carried through with sectarian against catholics in every sphere of life in the six counties: politics, employment, education and the administration of justice. This was kept in place by a massive sectarian military machine and draconian restrictions on civil liberties.
The nationalist minority were, and are, defined as disloyal to the state because they share with the majority of Irish people the aspiration of a united independent Ireland.
It is because sectarianism is built into the foundation of this artificial state, indeed they are its sole reason for existence, that efforts to reform it have met such ferocious resistance from the unionists and come to nothing. eliminated in the north of Ireland by eliminating its basis — which is a statelet based on a sectarian headcount.
The Labour Party's official policy cannot resolve the situation because it gives the artificially created unionist majority within the six counties a veto over Irish unity - which means that Irish unity will never come about.
The only way the logjam can be broken is by Britain adopting a policy of withdrawal from Ireland.
That would remove the principal prop of loyalist intransigence - the British presence.
necessary conclusions from the history of the last century that Britain has no role to play in Ireland.
We must conclude that in the interests of peace Britain must withdraw from Ireland!
finally draws this conclusion, and finally withdraws, there will be no peace in Ireland and the tremendous.
historical tragedy will continue.
We apologise for the exceptionally late appearance of this issue of Socialist Action.
This was due to a burglary at our offices.