ABSTRACT
In 1993, a Joint Declaration was signed by the British and Irish governments. The Declaration recognised and renewed the commitment to preservation of the union with the United Kingdom for as long as a majority of the people of Northern Ireland so wished. The Declaration also, however, indicated for the first time that the British government had ‘no selfish, strategic or economic interest’ in Northern Ireland, thus officially giving recognition to the neutrality of the government’s position over the long term future of the province. In September 1994, the IRA announced a ceasefire of hostilities. The British government responded with cautious optimism. In the same month, and as a response to the ceasefire, the government announced that the ban on live sound broadcasts by members of Sinn Fein would be lifted. The exclusion order on the President of Sinn Fein, Mr Gerry Adams, was also lifted.54
