P.D. Christmas
Free Citizen1970Loyalism and unionismNo public scan is online for this item; the text below was read from a privately held copy.
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sensationally headlines: ''The Burden of Craigavon", savages Stormont and complains bitterly that the ratepayers of Co. Armagh, with its huge 16,000 Unionist majority at the June 1970 General Election, are the victims of "gross extravagance". Rarely have Unionists been so outspoken.
In a key passage the anonymous critic complains: "Why should the ratepayers of Co. Armagh have to pay for Craigavon and their own existing services as well? It is indeed typical of the grossly unfair wrongs being committed by the various Stormont Ministries which utterly refuse to listen to the people, while the Ministries are utterly reckless, delving into vast expenditures. The people of this county should rise in protest.....
This is the language of revolution, of a risen people. Or at least of a people realising they have been conned by gloryhunters. But behind the compelling and popular reason of a new financial burden there is another reason far more frightening for Unionists. Strong rumours are current throughout the area that the balance between Unionists and anti-Unionists already in or currently coming into Craigavon is not what Craig and Faulkner expected it to be. They sacked their first Craigavon head-of-design, Professor Geoffrey Copcutt, in 1964 because he refused to play ball with them over their gerrymandering ideas. Copcutt said, "I was told by a source close to the Northern Ireland Cabinet that the P.D. CHRISTMAS CARDS ARE NOW AVAILABLE. THE OUTSIDE SHOWS A DELIGHTFUL SMILING SANTA CLAUS BEARING GIFTS FOR ALL,INSIDE IS A SUMMARY OF THE SPECIAL POWERS ACT (N.1I.) AND THE OFFENCES AGAINST THE STATE ACT (IRISH REPUBLIC). IN ADDITION THERE IS THE GREETING "HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM CURRAGH CAMP*, CRUMLIN ROAD JAIL* (DELETE ONE)
CARDS ARE SIXPENCE EACH COMPLETE WITH ENVELOPES, AND MAY BE OBTAINED BY POST FROM: 88 LADYBROOK PARK, BELFAST, FOR CRDERS UP TO ONE DOZEN PLEASE ENCLOSE 6d. EXTRA FOR POSTAGE, OVER A DOZEN, POST FREE. what they do for Craigavon, will be astutely mis-represented by Cooper and the Unionists who control him as evidence of euthusiasm for ''Ulster 1971''. So bodies who backed previous Festivals, like G.A.A. clubs, have already opted out of this new cheap trick to use them as a boost for Stormont!s image abroad.
Watch that your local festival or civic week is not hijacked by grass roots Unionists to give artifical respiration to the dead-as-a-duck Ulster Unionist Government 50th anniversary 'celebrations' organised by John Brooke at Stormont. You could well find yourself unknowingly working for the Unionist Party!
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FREE CITIZEN 11th DECEMBER 1970