Government of Ireland Act (1920)

The Government of Ireland Act (full title: An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland ) of December 23, 1920 was the British Parliament's second law to create the Home Rule (i.e. autonomous self-government) in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . It is also known as the 4th Home Rule Bill.

background

The first two legislative proposals to create the Home Rule in Ireland in 1886 and 1893 were both blocked by the House of Lords and did not go into effect. The third law in this regard was introduced in 1912, also blocked by the House of Lords, but received royal approval two years later due to a new legal situation. However, the First World War initially delayed the implementation of this law, which was ultimately completely abandoned due to developments in Ireland ( Irish War of Independence ). Only the 4th bill, which eventually became the Government of Ireland Act , was successful.

Details

The law, introduced by the government of David Lloyd George , divided the island of Ireland into two areas: Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland , both of which were to have their own government. Southern Ireland included the entire island, apart from the 6 counties Antrim , Armagh , Down , Fermanagh , Londonderry and Tyrone as well as the boroughs of Derry and Belfast , which made up Northern Ireland. This division of the island was an attempt by the British government to reconcile the demands for the home rule of the Irish nationalists on the one hand and those for the Unionists to remain with Great Britain on the other. So Northern Ireland, by law, comprised 6 out of 9 counties in the province of Ulster - this was considered the maximum area in which the Unionists formed a safe majority.

Each of the two countries should have its own parliament, which should consist of His Majesty (the British King), a Senate (Southern Ireland or Northern Ireland) and the House of Commons (Southern Ireland and Northern Ireland). Common to both territories would be a single Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to represent the King in Ireland and an Irish Council (Council of Ireland) to coordinate common affairs between the two countries. Both countries were still allowed to send a certain number of MPs to the British Parliament in Westminster . Elections for both lower houses finally took place in May 1921.

Aftermath

The Parliament of Northern Ireland was established in 1921. When it was inaugurated in Belfast City Hall , King George V made his famous appeal for reconciliation between the north and south. The speech was drafted by the government of David Lloyd George on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa, Jan Smuts . It opened the door for formal contacts between the British government and the Irish Republican administration under Éamon de Valera , paving the way for the Anglo-Irish Treaty .

Southern Ireland never became a reality. 124 of the 128 elected MPs in the Lower House of Southern Ireland refused to meet as the House of Commons and instead gathered as the Second Dáil . In Northern Ireland, on the other hand, the Government of Ireland Act of 1920 remained part of the Northern Irish constitution for a long time. It was not until 1998, with the Northern Ireland Act and the Good Friday Agreement , that these passages were deleted.

literature

Robert Kee: The Green Flag. A History of Irish Nationalism . Penguin, London 2000, ISBN 0-14-029165-2 . (English)

Web links

Legal text within the Northern Ireland Constitution (English)

Footnotes

↑ The only exceptions were matters relating to the British Crown, as well as defense, foreign policy, world trade and currency matters.
↑ The king, whose government was known to be dissatisfied with the actions of the Black and Tans , was not pleased to open the newly created Northern Irish Parliament in the light of the partition of Ireland. Smuts, a close friend of the king, suggested that he take the opportunity to appeal for peace in Ireland. The King asked Smuts to put his ideas on paper and then forwarded a copy to Lloyd George. Lloyd George then invited Smuts to a British Cabinet meeting where Smuts was to comment on the "interesting" proposals Lloyd George had received. Neither informed the ministers that Smuts was the original author of the proposal. At the encouragement of Smuts, the King and the Prime Minister, the Ministers approved, albeit reluctantly, the King's proposed address on reconciliation with Ireland.

[1] The only exceptions were matters relating to the British Crown, as well as defense, foreign policy, world trade and currency matters.

[2] The king, whose government was known to be dissatisfied with the actions of the Black and Tans , was not pleased to open the newly created Northern Irish Parliament in the light of the partition of Ireland. Smuts, a close friend of the king, suggested that he take the opportunity to appeal for peace in Ireland. The King asked Smuts to put his ideas on paper and then forwarded a copy to Lloyd George. Lloyd George then invited Smuts to a British Cabinet meeting where Smuts was to comment on the "interesting" proposals Lloyd George had received. Neither informed the ministers that Smuts was the original author of the proposal. At the encouragement of Smuts, the King and the Prime Minister, the Ministers approved, albeit reluctantly, the King's proposed address on reconciliation with Ireland.