§ 4.20 p.m.
§ Mr. Gerard Fitt (Belfast, West)With permission, Mr. Speaker, I wish to draw to your attention a matter which I am informed reflects gravely on this House and many of its hon. Members.
On 23rd February I, with 85 of my hon. Friends, put a Motion on the Order Paper which called attention to certain facts taking place in Northern Ireland, with particular regard to the banning of the Republican Clubs. This excited a great deal of publicity in Northern Ireland and the next day a speech was made by the Minister of Home Affairs in Northern Ireland. It is to a report of that speech that I wish to draw your attention.
A newspaper reported:
A blunt warning that the Unionist Party will resist to the full any attempt at Westminster to interfere with or limit the rights of Parliament at Stormont has been given by Minister of Home Affairs Mr. Craig.The report continued:The Minister declared: 'Let me sound a note of warning: That Ulster will fight and Ulster will be right, and that this sort of attack and interference would mobilise Ulster loyalists in the same way as attacks by bomb and bullet.'Further, the report showed that he attempted to intimidate me in the performance of my duties as an elected representative of this House. It stated:Mr. Craig said that the activities of those running to Westminster on matters concerning only the Parliament of Northern Ireland because there happened to be a Socialist Government in power in London represented an attack on Ulster's constitution that could not be ignored.I have been informed that that speech by the Minister of Home Affairs in Northern Ireland constitutes an attack on my integrity as a Member of this House and 56 on the affairs that it is the duty of this House to decide.Allied with that, another publication in Northern Ireland known as the Protestant Telegraph, a bitter and virulent opponent of mine, had a headline:
Why does Ulster's Rebel Leader go free?followed by:Arrest Fenian Fitt and rout the Republican Clubs".The report underneath said:Over 80 Labour and Liberal M.P.s have signed a motion tabled by Gerry Fitt, Republican Labour M.P. …and called me "an arch-traitor".Alongside that report there was a letter couched in such terms as to give one the impression that I am a member of an illegal organisation in Northern Ireland, namely, the Irish Republican Army. That letter, alongside the article, is calculated to damage my reputation as a representative in Northern Ireland and to cast reflection on my political associations.
Further, the report named the chief sponsors of the Motion as myself, and my hon. Friends the Members for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose), Reading (Mr. John Lee), Norwich, South (Mr. Norwood), Ealing, North (Mr. Molloy), and Salford, West (Mr. Orme). It continued by asking why I was not arrested for putting down the Motion with 85 of my hon. Friends.
The matter takes on a rather more sinister and serious aspect when one considers the speech of the Minister for Home Affairs and friendly correspondence which has taken place between him and the editor of that newspaper, as reported on page 4.
It would appear that there is collusion in this case and I wish you to give your Ruling, Mr. Speaker, on whether there has been prima facie a case of breach of privilege.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member for Belfast, West (Mr. Fitt) will now bring me the newspapers of which he complains.
Copies of newspapers handed in.
The hon. Member has asked me to rule on the question of whether there is prima facie a case of breach of privilege. In accordance with the usual practice, I shall give a Ruling in 24 hours' time.