David Trimble Quotations

As we take stock of this century of achievement, Ulster Unionists have every reason to feel proud.

There are two traditions in Northern Ireland. There are two main religious denominations. But there is only one true moral denomination. And it wants peace.

The dark shadow we seem to see in the distance is not really a mountain ahead, but the shadow of the mountain behind - a shadow from the past thrown forward into our future. It is a dark sludge of historical sectarianism. We can leave it behind us if we wish.

Politics can be likened to driving at night over unfamiliar hills and mountains. Close attention must be paid to what the beam can reach and the next bend.

The one thing I can assure you is that I'm not going to do a Prescott.

Circumstances give in reality to every political principle, its distinguishing colour, and discriminating effect. The circumstances are what render every civil and political scheme beneficial or noxious to mankind.

The Republican movement have not behaved properly over the years. They have not themselves implemented the Agreement. If they had implemented the Agreement then they would have disarmed completely in May 2000, that is what they undertook to do, that is what they failed to do.

until such time as the IRA has been disbanded.

We have said repeatedly that we jumped first and gave them the chance to act... and a second chance. Doing nothing is not a cost-free option to republicans,

There are still substantial areas of disagreement, .. you simply have to look at the public statements to see there is a significant gap.

In the future there cannot be room for ambiguity. They have to make their position absolutely clear before they can expect anyone to respond to it.

The decision to give an indicative date for a return is a mistake. It degrades the process. It degrades human life.

There is no doubt that there are people in the republican movement who have been guilty of breaches of the ceasefire,

The people of Northern Ireland will now judge Sinn Fein on their actions over the coming days, ... An end to the war means the weapons of terrorism must be destroyed and all forms of paramilitary violence must cease for good.

The process is moving forward and the process is moving forward towards a particular result and towards completion. and the sooner we get there the happier everyone in Northern Ireland will be,

We're glad to see that the IRA has taken a significant step towards decommissioning but it hasn't actually begun decommissioning. And of course we want to see that happen.

She was like a breath of fresh air.

Of course, if they show they are committed to peaceful means and they honor the undertakings they gave under the agreement, there's still the prospect of people jumping together but it's time to start to deliver.

Now winter is here and there is still no sign of spring.

No doubt it (the car bomb), like the murder of Billy Wright in the Maze prison, is intended to destabilize the situation by provoking a reaction ... I hope people will not allow themselves, as they have been, to be provoked into reacting.

If they (IRA) put their weapons completely and verifiably beyond use, then we'll all be delighted,

He has got to create confidence ... in Northern Ireland that the law will be observed and will be enforced, and when republicans are found to be behaving in a way that is contrary to their undertakings, that he will act.

had not been seen in the talks before.

Whatever decisions are taken, there is no place for violence and riot and the incidents that we have seen over the last few days,

The people that we really need the answers from are the Republican movement and what they've got to do is they have got to tell us what they are going to do.

It is not just a question of a symbolic action with regard to handing in some weapons,

Our proposal to him, expressed very strongly indeed, is that that is the course he should follow,

Our principal objective is ... to see the administration re-formed but re-formed on a sound basis.

Our view is that the review should be tightly focused on something -- that is, focused on the key issues that have caused the difficulties, primarily on decommissioning and also on the question of devolution,

Recovery would be very simple -- let the prime minister put the information he has in the public domain,

Orangemen must realize that if this violence continues, it will only be a matter of time before we once again are following coffins,

squandered the best opportunity that they have had to date in order to resolve this issue.

I wonder if they have any idea of the damage that has been done to this process, and have they any ideas as to how to recover and repair that damage.

We now have a chance to create a genuine partnership between unionists and nationalists in a novel form of government.

We realize that in proceeding we will be involved directly or indirectly ... in a process that involves Sinn Fein.

We hope that they can, as they have done in the past, improve on what the IRA has done,

We have stretched ourselves remarkably in the circumstances, ... It is also obvious there is a limit to how far we can stretch ourselves without an adequate response being made in the circumstances.

We have still not secured any commitment (on IRA disarmament) that would be recognized by unionists. We consider that the guarantees are weak.

We have started and we will go on. and we will go on all the better if we walk rather than run. Sometimes we will stumble but this will not matter.

We've done our bit, and Mr. Adams, it's over to you. We've jumped. You follow,

We can't have a situation where people are turning a blind eye to violence or allowing people to participate in the talks on an entirely false basis.

We haven't given up, nor will we give up. We will endeavor to see what we can do to reach an accommodation,

The present situation is appalling. There is a serious danger that the problems could spread to other schools in the area.

We are dealing here with a conflict of rights; there's right on both sides.

There are parts of this agreement that we are not happy with. But we have judged that we have enough here to build on.

We are just on the edge of implementing it, but of course all of it has to be implemented, and that means that the one issue that has not moved has to move as well, because if we move without that being in position, then there is a very serious danger of things collapsing.

The debate revealed that the differences between us were tactical. They made clear that they are committed to an assembly on a cross community basis.

We came here in hope that progress could be achieved, we came here in the hope that there would be significant movement by the republican movement for us to enable us to move forward together.

There has been useful work done. There has been a degree of progress but ... it's not all there yet.

while it does appear to break new ground, there are matters that should be probed.

You cannot say that there is a peace agreement if some party has a private army armed to the teeth ready for action.

We all knew that the agreement was not going to be a magic wand and ... that there are elements opposed to it. These elements will not succeed.

We want to ensure that nothing is imposed upon the people here, that their consent is paramount.

We will of course be reflecting on all of the things that have been said in the debate and carrying through the tactics that have been outlined,

The prisoner releases are a difficult aspect of the situation.

very interesting. It does appear to break new ground. There are some quite positive elements in it.

There have been problems, no doubt about it.

We have done our bit, Mr. Adams. It is over to you. We have jumped. You follow.

We have done and will continue to do everything we can to maximize the opportunity that's here for people. I hope we've gone over the Rubicon this time.

ready to carry out their side of the agreement.

This clears the way for the transfer of power from London to the Assembly.

This clears the stalemate we have had in terms of process,

It was a 'nearly' statement that got close to saying what needed to be said.

It is patently obvious that those promises must be delivered, ... Let there be absolutely no doubt that I and my colleagues will hold republicans to the promises they have made. If there is any foot-dragging, there will be difficulties.

It really boils down to the question: Are they actually prepared to do anything?

It may seem strange that we receive the reward of a race run while the race is still not quite finished.

Each of these steps takes a little bit of time, but we've made the significant step today at getting the process started, ... We've agreed on a program of work and indeed on the next meeting in this format which will be in June.

It was made clear to Sinn Fein again and again and again that this experiment, this risk that we were taking, would be time-limited and would not run beyond the end of January.

It will kill off this issue for a generation. I am quite sure the result would be an overwhelming endorsement of the Union.

I hope we can actually bring about fairly soon a situation in Northern Ireland where everybody, even those who, at the moment, are skeptical of the process, can feel safe and confident.

In all of this we have negotiated in good faith. It is now apparent that others have not,

I must make it clear that the calling of the meeting does not mean that we have committed ourselves to endorsing any set of proposals.

If President Clinton's visit helps to shift paramilitaries from their intransigent positions, he will deserve much credit, ... I hope that the IRA and the loyalist paramilitaries will not let him down.

In the event of that not happening by Monday and Tuesday, that will leave us with no alternative but to remove ourselves from the administration.

I have to say that the statement is very interesting. It does appear to break new ground.

In the absence of those certainties, in the absence of those commitments, we have decided it's premature to form a shadow administration,

If there is a real commitment, then getting rid of the weapons could not possibly be a problem,

Can I say how disappointed I am at the decision of the Parades Commission.

But to deny the simple fact that this is a breach of the cease-fire is, I think, deeply disappointing.

hooligan elements are continuing the work that the IRA have been engaged in for the past 30 years.

I am pleased to have had the privilege of leading what I regard as the best and most democratic political grouping in Ulster

The IRA weren't getting what they wanted out of the talks. This is their response.

The fog is clearing, and as it clears we see that the Ulster Party will be the largest party in the assembly, that the determined assault made upon us by the DUP and its allies has failed.

An attempt to form the executive without decommissioning (disarming) will lead to a loss of confidence among the Unionist community to such an extent that the executive so-formed would not survive,

The important thing is that we get the matter resolved in a way that enables both sides to feel that their rights have been vindicated.