It hardly seems like two decades since the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) was signed. Much of the groundwork for it – I’d say around 70 per cent – was laid by John Major, to his great credit, and more directly by my boss, Sir (later Lord) Patrick (‘Paddy’) Mayhew, who I had the honour to serve as Special Adviser to at the Northern Ireland Office 1996-97.
He was a wonderful man who strode above party politics; resolute, principled and modest enough to have no interest in taking credit for this Herculean task. He’d berate me for mentioning it now.
Read David’s full article in the telegraph.co.uk here.
By David Campbell Bannerman – Conservative MEP