Point of No Return: Strike Which Broke the British in Ulster

by Robert S. Fisk

Genres: Ireland, History, British Literature

264 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Ruairí]

As far as I can find the only day-by-day account of the loyalist strike which brought down the first go at power sharing in NI, dealing another resounding defeat to the British state right after the miners saw off the Heath. A bizarre and sui generis event in British history (actually existing dual power in a region encompassing 1.5 million nominally British subjects).

That being said, the politics are so context specific it is hard to know what (if any) lessons to draw - although it would be hard to believe the British state didn’t draw some lessons. Offers a twist to Mao’s maxim: political power grows out of the turbines of a power station.

To summarise, a reactionary vanguard of power and manufacturing workers (segregated industries) lead a political strike against the British state with wide popular appeal. They did so to bring down a British negotiated power sharing agreement on the basis that it was the first step to a united Ireland. In essence this was to preserve the ‘democratic’ sectarian privileges of the Orange state in NI. The Ulster Workers Council combined militant workers, politicians and paramilitaries setting up parallel social services and policing the movement of people and basic goods and services. The police and army were both unwilling and unable to break the strike through violence or take command of energy production.

“Why are they doing it?” said the soldier “to stay British” said the driver. “But they aren’t fucking British” said the soldier

[Steve Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is THE go-to account of the Ulster Workers Council General Strike which destroyed the Sunningdale agreement. It is the most (only?) detailed account of the events day by day and hour by hour. This is proper journalism, researching and recounting the facts and weaving them into a narrative of events. Fisks account is gripping, almost like a political thriller.
The British government was faced with a choice between either capitulating to the settlers or of calling their bluff. It chose to capitulate instead of finally tearing up the Irish question for eternity. The result, in terms of bloodshed, agony and tears is well-known.
How anyone could could award this book just one star beggars belief. Read this book. You will learn.