British govt considered making North independent
The British government considered making the North an independent country during the 1970s, according to documents released today under the 30-year rule.
Both British and Irish authorities at the time feared that loyalists would attempt to make a Unilateral Declaration of Independence, sparking a bloodbath.
A Department of Foreign Affairs document claims there was evidence that London favoured granting independence to the six counties as a long-term solution to the Troubles.
It noted, however, that there was no debate about the economic consequences of such a move.
Papers from London by the then British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, stated that "Separation may be forced upon us."
A note from the Northern Ireland Office attached to the memo reads: "There are too many unknowns for crystal ball-gazing to be worth much at present.''
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