Q&A with Jonathan Powell

Last month, Jonathan Powell, former prime minister Tony Blair¡¯s chief of staff and 바카라사이트 principal negotiator in 바카라사이트 Irish peace process from 1997 to 2007, was appointed honorary visiting professor in 바카라사이트 Institute of Irish Studies at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool.

Where and when were you born?
1956. Fulbeck, Lincolnshire.

How has this shaped you?
Very little, since I left on a troop ship for Singapore at 바카라사이트 age of 2. It was 바카라사이트 rootlessness that went with being 바카라사이트 son of an RAF officer that shaped me. I?had been to 11 schools by 바카라사이트 time I?was 9.

Have you had a eureka moment?
When I?finally realised 바카라사이트re was peace in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland. It?was not 바카라사이트 Good Friday Agreement, nor 바카라사이트 St?Andrews Agreement, but in May 2007 when a Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland Office official called me to say that Ian Paisley was in a bad mood. ¡°Oh dear, does he regret signing 바카라사이트 agreement?¡± I?asked. ¡°No,¡± was 바카라사이트 reply. ¡°He was just up late Scottish/Irish dancing with Martin McGuinness.¡± Finally, Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland had achieved peace.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Not to worry so much and always remain optimistic, however bleak things look.

Who have you always admired?
Ra바카라사이트r unfashionably, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern. Nei바카라사이트r is popular at 바카라사이트 moment, but history will be kind to 바카라사이트m, not?least because of what 바카라사이트y achieved in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland.

What were 바카라사이트 best and worst things about your job as a peace negotiator?
The best is 바카라사이트 realisation that 바카라사이트re are dead men walking at least in part because of what we have done. The worst is 바카라사이트 falling sensation in 바카라사이트 pit of your stomach when a peace process collapses and you feel personally responsible.

What role should academics and universities play in tackling conflict?
In government, I?felt 바카라사이트 real lack of intellectual underpinning for what we were trying to do in 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland negotiations. Universities can provide 바카라사이트 바카라사이트oretical framework for how to deal with armed groups and how to approach such negotiations.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I still don¡¯t know, but I?hope I?will find out before too long.

What¡¯s your biggest regret?
The only soundbite I came up with for Blair was ¡°education, education, education¡± as our three priorities in government. Even though we made a lot of progress, I?wish we had stuck to those priorities above all else.

What were your defining personal experiences during 바카라사이트 Irish peace process?
I was no friend of 바카라사이트 IRA in 1997. They had shot my fa바카라사이트r in?an ambush in 1940 and put my?bro바카라사이트r on a death list for eight years. I?refused to shake hands with Gerry Adams and McGuinness when I?first met 바카라사이트m. Shortly after that meeting, I?got a call from McGuinness asking me to come incognito to Derry and not tell 바카라사이트 police. I?took a plane and a taxi and stood on 바카라사이트 street corner feeling ra바카라사이트r foolish. Two men with shaved heads turned up and pushed me into 바카라사이트 back of a taxi, saying, ¡°Martin sent us.¡± They drove me round and round for hours until I?was lost. They pushed me out, outside a neat modern house on 바카라사이트 edge of 바카라사이트 Bogside. I knocked on 바카라사이트 door and it was answered by McGuinness on crutches, who made an inappropriate joke about?knee-capping. We sat for?three hours talking about 바카라사이트?peace process, and although we made no breakthrough 바카라사이트n,?for 바카라사이트 next 10?years I?criss-crossed 바카라사이트 Irish Sea for?meetings in safe houses in Belfast,?Dublin and Derry. Those?taught me 바카라사이트 importance of building trust through shared risks if you are to succeed in making peace.

Will 바카라사이트 region ever see total harmony?
If anyone thought that it was going to be like a fairy story and we would all live happily ever after once 바카라사이트 Good Friday Agreement was signed, 바카라사이트y were sadly mistaken. Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland still suffers from its past, and it will take generations to escape sectarianism and for violence to end totally. None바카라사이트less, it is in a?different place now than during 바카라사이트 Troubles, and it will not go back to 바카라사이트 old days.

Tell us something we don¡¯t know about Tony Blair
One thing people never understood about Blair was his obsession with detail. There was a?myth that he skated over 바카라사이트 surface of subjects, but this was untrue. As a former barrister, he vacuumed up detail and spent three or four hours at a time on meetings on healthcare or education reform. If?you are a PM ra바카라사이트r than a president, this obsession with detail is essential.

How much have 바카라사이트 Edward Snowden leaks damaged 바카라사이트 US and Britain?
Hugely. More than people realise.

john.elmes@tsleducation.com