Audio interview with David Trimble, designate First Minister of Northern Ireland, by the BBC on 8 May 2000. On 6 February 2000 the IRA released a statement indicating that it was ready to begin a process to ‘completely and verifiably’ put its arms beyond use and resume contact with the IICD. On 8 May Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Peter Mandelson, announced that he would restore the Northern Ireland Assembly. Trimble’s interview takes place on the same day. He responds to the IRA’s statement and discusses the possibility of progress on decommissioning and the wider peace process. This interview forms part of the BBC Northern Ireland A State Apart online resource which documents thirty years of peace and violence in Northern Ireland from the Troubles to the Belfast Agreement/Good Friday Agreement.
Date of Release/Broadcast: 8 May 2000
Name of First Interviewee: David Trimble
Role at time of Interview: Designate First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the UUP
Interviewer: Unknown
Purpose: News, Research
Media: Audio
Copyright: BBC © 2012
Link: Listen to the interview
Programme/Book/Article: BBC Northern Ireland A State Apart
Time Period covered: 2000
Key Individuals: David Trimble, Jeffrey Donaldson, Nigel Dodds
Key Words: IRA, IICD, decommissioning, UUP, DUP