Paying over the odds for peace in Northern Ireland

9th May 2008
By Martyn Frampton

Since its release, Jonathan Powell’s ‘insider’ account of the Northern Irish peace process has caused plenty of controversy. Many have taken issue with the suggestion from Tony Blair’s former chief-of-staff that the Northern Ireland peace process proves that governments should be prepared to talk to terrorists.

Powell’s argument is in many ways a compelling one. After all, who truly does not believe that ‘jaw-jaw’ is better than ‘war-…