ULSTER BYELECTIONS Paisley Might Tilt Balance Of Power

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32274, 17 April 1970, Page 13

ULSTER BYELECTIONS Paisley Might Tilt Balance Of Power

(N.Z.P A.-Reuter—Copyright)

BELFAST (Northern Ireland), April 16.

The Rev. lan Paisley, champion of Protestant fanatics, is still the favourite in one of today’s two by-elections in Northern Ireland.

The noisy, bull-necked parson is hurling down a challenge in the rural constituency of Bannside to the moderate Protestants, in an election which might tilt the delicate political balance of Northern Ireland.

In the last week there has been an intensive effort by the ruling Unionist Party to prevent the election to the Northern Ireland Parliament of the extreme Protestant candidates

Another Paisleyite cand*. date, the Rev. William Beattie, is competing at the secqnd by-election in South Antrim.

Mr Paisley’s campaign has consisted of fierce and unwavering opposition to the reforms now being pushed through in an attempt to better the lot of the Roman Catholic minority. Bannside now lacks a representative in the Northern Ireland House of Commons. The vacancy was caused by elevation to the peerage of a former Prime Minister, Captain Terence O’Neill. For Mr Paisley. Bannside is familiar ground; he ran there against Captain O’Neill in the General Election and nearly beat him. Now his chances of victory are rated much higher and bookmakers put him as favourite at two to one.

Competing against Mr Paisley is a local family doctor, 49-year-old Dr Bolton Minford. He has been put up as the official candidate of the ruling Unionist Party. This makes Dr Minford an advocate of the reforms now being effected to redress the grievances of Northern Ireland’s 500,000 Roman Catholics. For years , Roman Catholics have complained that they suffered discrimination at the hands of the mil-lion-strong Protestant community. Victory for Mr Paisley would be a distinct setback for the reform programme. With u Parliamentary platform for his views, Mr Paisley might well rally support from other militant unionists and perhaps even overturn the Government.

A defeat like this for the moderates would almost cer-

tainly induce a tougher attitude amorg Roman Catholics. Quite likely the result would be new bloodshed on a scale even bigger than last year. The bedside manner of soft-

spoken Dr Minford contrasts sharply with the rip-roaring orations of Mr Paisley. During the campaign. Dr Min-. ford’s meetings have been sparsely attended.

The Paisley bandwaggon, with its banging drums and shrill flutes, has on the Other hand drawn large and enthusiastic crowds. An enigma in the election in which way the Roman Catholics, who are without a candidate of their own, will vote. Some observers think they may even plump fon their arch-enemy, Mr Paisley, in hopes of sowing disorder among Protestants in general and creating a situation wher- the British Government might be obliged to intervene with direct rule. There is a third candidate,a representative of the Northern Ireland Labour Party, But most observers give him ’ no chance at all.