By Jonathan McCambridge, PAAny review of the early years of the Stormont political institutions had to focus on the lack of paramilitary decommissioning, former Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble warned the UK Government in 2003. Newly declassified files show Mr Trimble stating his “incredulity” that a letter from the UK and Irish governments proposing a conference to discuss progress in the workings of the Assembly did not mention decommissioning. The 1998 Good Friday Agreement largely ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland and established the Stormont Assembly and powersharing Executive. Mr Trimble responded to Mr Murphy in a letter on December 23rd. He said: “Our position and attitude to Sinn Fein is well known and set out in our Assembly election manifesto.

Source: The Herald December 30, 2025 09:19 UTC