Boris Johnson urged the Irish government to adopt a “hard egg” approach during the Northern Ireland peace process and “let the nationalists go to hell”, newly declassified documents show.
The former prime minister claimed the IRA had been close to defeat in 1994 and that the British would “beat them eventually”.
A confidential Irish government document from 1996 details a “slightly surreal” discussion between an Irish official and Mr Johnson, who was then deputy editor of The Daily Telegraph newspaper.
The conversation took place on 13 February, four days after the IRA London Docklands bombing that killed two people and injured more than 100 others.
“Our conversation had a slightly surreal touch, not least because I spoke to him on a mobile phone for 15 minutes while standing in the street outside a place of refreshment,” the official wrote.
“Johnson told me that there is a strong view at editorial level in his newspaper – although he avoided saying so, I believe it is the view of his editor, Charles Moore – that the prime minister [John Major] must have done something wrong in his address to the House of Commons … because the Irish government had reacted so warmly to his statement,” the document states.
Talks with (left to right) Jean De Chastelain, George Mitchell, Dick Spring, then taoiseach John Bruton, then prime minister John Major and Sir Patrick Mayhew in 1996
“More worryingly, Johnson argued for what he called a ‘hard egg’ approach,” the document states.
“Let them use the bomb and the bullet, we shouldn’t give in and we will beat them eventually,” Mr Johnson is quoted as saying.
The official said he had “pointed out” that a hard egg approach “can only lead to broken heads”, adding “the priority now has to be to minimise the chances of another act of violence, and that the clear message for both governments has to be that while there’s no place for the men of violence at the negotiation table there is an alternative to violence.”
“Implicit in Johnson’s argument was ‘let the nationalists go to hell’,” the document continues.
“He claimed that the IRA were in 1994 at the point of defeat, I asked him to name one serious security source who would back up that statement. Surely the lesson of the last 25 years is that there is no security or military solution.
“This was not an argument he was prepared to accept.”
Aftermath of the Aldwych, London bus bombing of 19 February 1996
The official was canvassing the opinions of a number of journalists from both the left and right of the political spectrum in Britain.
A conversation with Peter Riddell, then political commentator with The Times, is also documented. Mr Riddell told the official he was surprised at “the lack of a more robust response” to the London Docklands bombing.
The document continues: “The number of Tories who take a serious interest in Northern Ireland is very low and the prevailing mindset for most Tories is one of resolute anti-terrorism and a hatred of Gerry Adams rather [than] pro-unionism.”
The official said he had raised the “demonisation” of then SDLP leader John Hume with Mr Riddell, who told him he had learnt “very directly” that Mr Major “actively dislikes John Hume but gets on quite well with Seamus Mallon”.
