David Trimble: Out in the Cold
- TV Movie
- 2006
- 1h
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Featured review
A well laid out documentary that shows Trimble's brave leap into political middle-ground that was met by the betrayal of those who said they would leap to meet him
In the mid-nineties, David Trimble joined his constituents from Portadown at Dumcree as they engaged the police in a standoff along the traditional route of the Orange Order march. Brokering a deal that was seen as a victory for the Unionist community, Trimble grew in political stature as the leader of the Ulster Unionists although his rivalry with DUP leader Ian Paisley was barely concealed. Trying to lead his party down a "middle-ground" road different from the DUP, Trimble attends the talks in 1997 which the DUP refuse to take part in. So began a difficult balancing act where he tried to bring political peace to Northern Ireland while taking the Unionist community along with him. However anyone who knows Northern Ireland politics knows that the middle ground tends to be the most difficult to hold.
Watching this documentary, most viewers will be aware of Trimble's fate and, as the documentary says it up front, it isn't going to spoil it to say that he gambled and lost politically. This film steps back into the mid-nineties where it suggests that he started the run of power that included entering the Good Friday talks, coming to an agreement and then finding himself increasingly isolated from his fellow Unionists as the other parties fail to deliver their side of the agreement making it appear that the Unionists had sold the farm in exchange for nothing. At first it appeared to be his finest hour, getting the (marginal) support of the Unionists and being elected First Minister. However a massive attack on Omagh by the IRA, the refusal to budge on decommissioning from Sinn Fein/IRA and the loss of symbolic and real parts of the RUC to Chris Patton see him losing his gamble as he had to sell big concessions while Sinn Fein appeared to be getting whatever they wanted.
What the film does very well is to present the facts and present the impossible situation that Trimble was put into by English politicians. He moved into the middle, giving up plenty but Sinn Fein/IRA did not move there to meet him, but yet (to the view of unionists) the Republicans still got what they wanted. Successive UK governments knew that if the terrorists were not at the table then nothing would happen; they also knew that the terrorists could simply go on killing and therefore had all the power. The film shows the shameful betrayal of Trimble's trust in areas such as the RUC, right through to the mockery of General John de Chastelain's report on decommissioning (bound by a confidentiality agreement, he could not even say how many weapons he had seen destroyed, how much was left, what was destroyed or anything). Even after this latter event, Trimble went to Adams to try and get more information so he could convince his people, but Adam's refused. Knowing now that the IRA have set bombs within the last few months, robbed a bank last year and continuing their punishment shootings and beatings long after Trimble was gone, it is all the more sickening that the decommissioning issue was ignored by Blair's Labour in the name of moving forward.
The film is worth seeing because it is a pretty fair history of the period. The film could have been more balanced by being a bit longer and including the similar treatment given to SDLP leader John Hume, who also tried to lead his community down a moderate road of compromise but found himself unable to compete with the hardline approach of Sinn Fein/IRA. The film could also have given more time to Blair maybe he would have been able to explain himself better or justify why he gave away so much while getting so little, but to be honest I doubt it would have made a difference the film also stands as yet another condemnation of his political leadership and is yet another botched job that he may have spun his way out of now, but for most of us it will be things like this that make up his precious "legacy". (However it is ironic that Bush's friend Tony should be seen here making any concession asked for him to terrorists while also starting a war against terrorists somewhere else).
Overall a short but strong documentary. A little bit biased towards the Unionist viewpoint but not deliberately I think, more just because Trimble is the subject. Well worth a look whether you know him or not simply because it is a moving and engaging look at a man who took big leaps and took big risks in the name of peace, only to find himself betrayed, isolated and abandoned by the very people who said they would meet him in the middle.
Watching this documentary, most viewers will be aware of Trimble's fate and, as the documentary says it up front, it isn't going to spoil it to say that he gambled and lost politically. This film steps back into the mid-nineties where it suggests that he started the run of power that included entering the Good Friday talks, coming to an agreement and then finding himself increasingly isolated from his fellow Unionists as the other parties fail to deliver their side of the agreement making it appear that the Unionists had sold the farm in exchange for nothing. At first it appeared to be his finest hour, getting the (marginal) support of the Unionists and being elected First Minister. However a massive attack on Omagh by the IRA, the refusal to budge on decommissioning from Sinn Fein/IRA and the loss of symbolic and real parts of the RUC to Chris Patton see him losing his gamble as he had to sell big concessions while Sinn Fein appeared to be getting whatever they wanted.
What the film does very well is to present the facts and present the impossible situation that Trimble was put into by English politicians. He moved into the middle, giving up plenty but Sinn Fein/IRA did not move there to meet him, but yet (to the view of unionists) the Republicans still got what they wanted. Successive UK governments knew that if the terrorists were not at the table then nothing would happen; they also knew that the terrorists could simply go on killing and therefore had all the power. The film shows the shameful betrayal of Trimble's trust in areas such as the RUC, right through to the mockery of General John de Chastelain's report on decommissioning (bound by a confidentiality agreement, he could not even say how many weapons he had seen destroyed, how much was left, what was destroyed or anything). Even after this latter event, Trimble went to Adams to try and get more information so he could convince his people, but Adam's refused. Knowing now that the IRA have set bombs within the last few months, robbed a bank last year and continuing their punishment shootings and beatings long after Trimble was gone, it is all the more sickening that the decommissioning issue was ignored by Blair's Labour in the name of moving forward.
The film is worth seeing because it is a pretty fair history of the period. The film could have been more balanced by being a bit longer and including the similar treatment given to SDLP leader John Hume, who also tried to lead his community down a moderate road of compromise but found himself unable to compete with the hardline approach of Sinn Fein/IRA. The film could also have given more time to Blair maybe he would have been able to explain himself better or justify why he gave away so much while getting so little, but to be honest I doubt it would have made a difference the film also stands as yet another condemnation of his political leadership and is yet another botched job that he may have spun his way out of now, but for most of us it will be things like this that make up his precious "legacy". (However it is ironic that Bush's friend Tony should be seen here making any concession asked for him to terrorists while also starting a war against terrorists somewhere else).
Overall a short but strong documentary. A little bit biased towards the Unionist viewpoint but not deliberately I think, more just because Trimble is the subject. Well worth a look whether you know him or not simply because it is a moving and engaging look at a man who took big leaps and took big risks in the name of peace, only to find himself betrayed, isolated and abandoned by the very people who said they would meet him in the middle.
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- bob the moo
- May 27, 2006
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