Catalogue reference (NAI): DFA_2021_53_15 p1 and p2
A transcript of an interview from a TV news programme in Northern Ireland, Live at Six
Transcript
Comments from Jeffrey Donaldson (UUP) and David Adams (UDP)
UTV Live at Six – [REDACTED]
Interviewer: Mr Donaldson what is the main problem for your party?
Mr Donaldson: We are not going to sign up for some sort of charter for a United Ireland. What we require, especially from the Irish Government, is some movement. Last week, the Irish Prime Minister said he would not compromise and the result has been the kind of proposals in this document which cannot form the basis of an agreement acceptable to Unionists. We are now prepared to negotiate in good faith and if they don’t, then we are not going to get agreement.
Interviewer: David Adams, is your party unhappy?
Mr Adams: Well, we are unhappy with the document as it sits and Jeffrey is quite right to say that it doesn’t form the basis of an agreement that Unionism could buy into and we, as Unionist parties, will refuse to give our acquiescence to anything which the Unionist population could not be happy with.
Interviewer: Could you walk away from it this week?
Mr Adams: We, at this stage, have no desire or inclination whatsoever to walk away from the negotiations. Jeffrey is quite right when he says what has to happen now is people have to plug in to “planet reality” and try to understand the position that we are in and create a real agreement that Unionism could happily buy into.
Interviewer: Jeffrey Donaldson, what does the Prime Minister have to do?
Mr Donaldson: I think the prime Minister and for that matter the Irish Government, have take a long look at these proposals. There has got to be fundamental changes if we are going to get agreement, if there is to be an agreement to which Unionists can put their hand to we must see fundamental changes to be made to the kind of ideas that are being put forward. Otherwise, unfortunately, if people are not prepared to compromise, we are not going to get agreement.