Barr UWC rolein Wikileak file

The cables refer to Mr Barr’s role as Chairman of the UWC co-ordinating committee, which struck against the Sunningdale power-sharing agreement, that was so hated by unionists.

The cables also reveal how Mr Barr went to Libya as part of a three man Ulster Defence Association (UDA) delegation to meet members of the Muammar Gaddafi Governemnt.

The former Libyan leader is said to have been considering bankrolling an independent Ulster in the event of a unilateral British withdrawal from Northern Ireland.

Diplomats also apparently viewed the make-shift United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC) - an alliance of mainstream unionists and paramilitary groups - as fragile.

UUP leader Harry West, for example, viewed Mr Barr as a “communist.”

One circular sent from Belfast and relayed to Dublin and Washington via the US Naval Communication station in Londonderry on May 29, 1974, states: “Glen Barr has been Chairman of UWC Coordinating Committee, which ran the strike from headquarters of Vanguard Unionist Party in East Belfast.”

Vanguard, of course, was the party fronted by Bill Craig who felt Sunningdale would herald civil war during which republicans would be killed or expelled from Northern Ireland.

Washington’s man in Belfast said: “The committee included representatives of the UUUC (three loyalist parties and four Orange Institutions) and Ulster Army Council (various loyalist paramilitary organisations, notably the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and UDA.

“Barr was elected to Assembly in Londonderry as Vanguard Party Member, but also had leadership roles in Loyalist Association Workers (LAW) and UDA.”

Over two months after the end of the strike, which effectively succeeded in destroying Sunningdale, thoughts turned to planned elections to a new Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (NICC).

According to a communiqué issued from Dublin, Mr Barr is said to have told the US Consul General that the UUUC would not run its own slate of candidates for the elections to the NICC. Instead, the UWC would provide candidates for the loyalist UUUC.

Mr Barr expressed concern to the US Consul General “over what tactics loyalist paramilitary groups might use in convention election but did not elaborate.”

He was also quite strong in his opposition to the carpet-bagging Enoch Powell - famed for his ‘rivers of blood’ and ‘all political careers end in failure’ statements - and lined up as potential UUP candidate. Mr Powell did win a seat in South Down in the general election later that year.

The cable states: “He is lukewarm at most about unionist adoption Enoch Powell as candidate for parliament. Barr believes that several Ulster residents equally if not better qualified than Powell and Barr distrusts Powell attitudes on trade-unions and working class.”

The Waterside man’s left-wing outlook was also said to have been a source of division within the UUUC.

Conservative unionists such as the Fermanagh UUP leader Harry West, were suspicious of the likes of Mr Barr.

The conversation between Mr Barr and the US Consul General suggested the UWC-UUUC alliance was “tenuous and fragile.”

This was due to its disparate membership, as the cable states: “These range from highly conservative Orangemen whose spokesman is Harry West to self-professed socialists such as Barr whom some Protestants, including West, consider to be a communist.”

The US believed Mr Barr felt there were only two alternatives to the Ulster problem.

These were “an independent Ulster with dominion status or federation Ulster and Éire with federal parliament to sit at Westminster.”

The Londonderry loyalist, however, did not believe either of these options were very realistic in the short term.

Then in September 1974 reports that the British Government had given assurances any future constitutional set up would involve nationalists in the Executive and would recognise the special relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, resulted in further alarm.

A US memo from Dublin to both Belfast and London states: “Most extreme reaction to date is announcement by co-ordinator Glen Barr that pressure mounting for second UWC General Protest Strike.”

It was during the same month (September) that Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson called the second general election of 1974 for October 10, in a bid for an overall majority.

According to briefing document SDLP deputy leader John Hume’s hopes of ousting the UUP’s William Ross in Londonderry were scuppered by Mr Barr’s decision to stand aside.

The memo reads: “SDLP hopes for Johm Hume victory Londonderry from spilt in UUUC vote dimmed by announcement Glen Barr UWC co-ordinator Sept 17 that he would not be candidate.”

Mr Barr also announced that following a meeting of the UWC co-ordinating committee it was decided there would be no second strike unless the Government attempted to impose power-sharing and an Irish dimension on the Northern Ireland constitutional framework.

“Barr predicted no strike before local elections for constitutional convention,” he said.

On general election day a further memo relayed from Dublin to London and Washington via the US Navcomm station in Londonderry suggested friction between Mr Barr and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley.

This was the result of Mr Barr’s support for the Volunteer Political Party (VPP) candidate, Ken Gibson, in West Belfast. Mr Gibson was a member of the UVF, which backed the VPP.

Mr Paisley believed Mr Barr should have supported his DUP colleague, John McQuade.

According to US officials: “Paisley also moved to discipline trade unionist Glen Barr who supports Craig (William) in East Belfast but opposes Democratic Unionist Jon McQuade by supporting Volunteer Party candidate Ken Gibson in West Belfast.”

After the election fever died down US representatives turned their attention to a visit by Mr Barr and two other UDA representatives to the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

According to a memo dated November 18, a newspaper in Northern Ireland carried an unattributed report that Gaddafi was considering a £200m bank loan at six per cent to set up an investment bank in the Irish Republic.

The Libyan leader was allegedly interested in “breaking the south sterling link with Britain” and - it was reported - was willing to provide capital that “could be used finance an independent Ulster.”

The documents state that during Mr Barr’s trip to North Africa: “He did explore Libyan willingness help finance Ulster should it become independent entity. Barr said reaction positive.”

But Mr Barr’s visit attracted criticism from within his own party - Mr Craig’s Vanguard - which summoned the Londonderry man to an internal inquiry on November 21.

US officials noted: “Barr being charged with splitting UUUC, which heretofore supported by Protestant para-military organisations.

“Unnamed individuals cited by press as calling for inquiry into communist penetration of UDA.”

The same memo refers to Mr Barr’s strong Ulster patriotism, stating: “One strong point of appeal is Barr’s insistence that he will talk to anyone anywhere about future Ulster.

“This sets him and presumably the UDA apart from loyalists who refusing meet other politicians except in form elected representations.”

The following year Mr Barr was one of the newly elected members of the new NICC, which met for the first time on May 8, 1975.

But the Londonderry man refused to register and threatened to boycott the new body unless a number of prisoners were transferred from Scotland to Northern Ireland.

“Barr threatened boycott assembly until Secretary of State (Merlyn) Rees transfers four loyalist terrorists held in Scottish jails to Northern Ireland jails as has been done with republican terrorists,” another memo reads.

At the end of the month an exasperated US official refers to the “political schizophrenia” of the events of May 28.

This was the second full day of debate at the NICC at which there were tentative attempts at bridging the sectarian divide but which was followed by a UWC dinner dance to celebrate the collapse of Sunningdale.

“At the dinner dance Committee Chairman Glen Barr expanded on earlier remarks describing necessity to prepare for worst in what he called light history of British actions,” the official recorded.

Mr Barr had even given thought to contingency plans in the event of a British withdrawal and elaborated on them at the dance.

“Barr said his group had prepared documents relating to management NI affairs in event British withdrew.

“His plans include temporary chairmen of such Government departments of Education and Defence.”