Video interviews with William Hague, leader of the Conservative Party, and John de Chastelain, Chairman of the IICD, for ITN on 15 July 1999. On 2 July the British and Irish governments published ‘The Way Forward’, a document setting out a process for the formation of the Executive on 15 July and the beginning of decommissioning soon after. In response to UUP rejection of the proposals, Tony Blair stated that failsafes on decommissioning would be built into legislation on the devolution of power to Northern Ireland. The sense of political crisis was heightened on that date by the non-attendance of the UUP at Stormont to nominate ministers to the Executive, the abstention of the DUP and Alliance parties from nominating and the resignation of Seamus Mallon as designate deputy First Minister. Hague and de Chastelain discuss the importance of paramilitary decommissioning in the progression of the peace process.
Date of Release/Broadcast: 15 July 1999
Name of First Interviewee: William Hague
Name of Second Interviewee: John de Chastelain
Role at time of Interview: William Hague (leader of the Conservative Party), John de Chastelain (former Chairman of the IICD)
Purpose: News
Media: Audiovisual
Copyright: ©2013 ITN All rights reserved
Link: Watch the interview
Programme/Book/Article: ITN
Time Period covered: 1998-1999
Key Individuals: William Hague, John de Chastelain, Tony Blair, Mo Mowlam
Key Words: Belfast Agreement, Good Friday Agreement, decommissioning, paramilitary, IICD