The Brookeborough Years 1943-63

• 1943- Basil Brooke became NI’s third Prime Minister.

• He was an extreme Unionist and Catholics thought he was very sectarian. He helped start the hated B-Specials

• At the time Westminster politicians would not get involved in NI; This meant that any politician concerned with the treatment of Catholics could not voice their concerns

• In 1949 the south declared itself a Republic – The British Prime Minister Clement Atlee passed the Ireland Act that said guaranteed that Northern Ireland would never be made join with the Republic

Quote Brookeborough:

• Many in this audience employ Catholics, but I have not one about my place. Catholics are out to destroy Ulster...If we in Ulster allow Roman Catholics to work on our farms we are traitors to Ulster...I would appeal to loyalists, therefore, wherever possible, to employ good Protestant lads and lassies...”

The Welfare State in NI• The British government introduced changes in health,

education and social welfare. The reforms were introduced to NI also – it was known as the Welfare State

• The north couldn't afford to pay for the changes so Britain would pay if NI raised their taxes to the level of Britain. This would take some control away from Stormont but Brooke realised that it was worth it.

Health • Free healthcare was offered to all “from cradle to the grave”

• As always the sectarian issue caused problems- the Mater Hospital in Belfast was owned by nuns. They were afraid to lose the control of the hospital to the Unionists; the state told them that they must be fully in or out of the scheme. The nuns refused to join which meant they got no grants or state payments for their patients

• Therefore the Catholics themselves had to fund their own hospital by donations while paying high taxes to fund the public health service – this added to Catholic resentment

Education• New primary and secondary schools were opened. State

schools got building and maintenance grants and their pupils did not pay fees – Catholics did not send their children

• Catholic schools, which refused to join the state scheme, had their building grants increased from 50% to 65% even though Unionists were against this. Up to 80% of their pupils got scholarships.

• The impact of educational reforms: the reforms meant that a new generation of educated Catholics would rise to fight for their rights in the 1960’s as they resented the discrimination they experienced under Unionist rule.

Social welfare

• Generous pensions were given to the old, sick, unemployed and widowed

• They were much better paid than in the South e.g. an unemployed man in the south got 15 shillings a week as compared to 24 shillings in the north.

Housing• NI had a major housing problem especially after the Belfast Blitz of

WWII.

• 1943 survey showed 200,000 houses needed to be built to clear slums

• 1945 Housing Act subsidised (paid for) the building of houses

• 1961- 95,000 houses built, over 50,000 houses were given to local councils to give to people who needed the house most.

• Most councils give on the basis of need not political or religious divisions but in 12 out of 73 local councils this was not the case.

• These councils were all west of the Bann

The River Bann

• The river Bann flows into Lough Neagh, it divides Northern Ireland roughly into east and west, there is also religious divides.

• West of the Bann was Catholic and east of the Bann was Protestant.

• Most industry , roads, transport, jobs were located east of the Bann….WHY???

Housing

• The councils west of the Bann were controlled by Unionists even though the majority of the population was Catholic – the worst was Derry, Dungannon and Omagh.

• Since a house carried a vote in local councils, councils gave houses to Protestants instead of needy Catholic families

Unemployment in NI• Linen and shipbuilding went into decline after the war.

Brookeborough worried that with unemployment on the rise that people may start voting for the Labour Party

• So he took steps to create jobs:

• 1945 Industries Development Act gave factory sites and loans

• 1950’s Unionists got approval to spend more on building hospitals, schools and universities creating jobs.

• 1956 He encouraged foreign companies to settle in Northern Ireland- many did; most EAST of the Bann

• Regardless unemployment stayed between 6-10%, doublethat of Britain.

• NI remained the poorest part of UK.

Transport

• Jobs were set up improving communications (roads)

• 1962 Irelands first motorway was opened through Derry.

Agriculture

• Was the most important industry employing 14%.

• Britain was the main customer

• The British government subsidised (partly paid for) the prices that farmers got.

• The British govt gave grants for tractors and modernisation.

Brookeborough and the Nationalists• Many unionists were against the welfare state as they had to pay

more taxes and as Catholics were benefitting

• Brookeborough was convinced that making life better for Catholics through the welfare state might convince them to accept NI

• He supported the easing of the Special Powers Act and asked the RUC to ban Orange parades in Nationalist areas.

• That said he didn’t do anything that might damage the unionists grip over NI.

– When the British govt changed voting to “one person, one vote” NI kept the voting to one householder, one vote.

– He backed the Flags and Emblems Act 1954 which banned all flags other than the Union Jack – caused huge tension between Catholics and RUC

The end of the Brookeborough Covt

• Many unionists were unhappy with Brooke

• Catholics and Protestants began voting for the Labour party –their main concern was employment

• 1963 Brooke retired suddenly and was replaced by Terence O’Neill.

• He was disliked by many Unionists making it difficult for him to lead them