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Rather than making things better, internment had made them much worse.

The events of Bloody Sunday indicated to the London government that Prime Minister Brian Faulkner and his Cabinetwere not really able to deal with the deteriorating security situation.

Faulkner responded to recent events by asking the British government for permission to:

1. Bring back the B Specials;
2. Allow the RUC to carry guns again.

The government in London refused to agree and instead asked the Northern Ireland Government to give up its power over law and order.

When Faulkner rejected this request, London decided to take control of things.

In late March 1972, the British Government announced that it would:

• Take control of security in Northern Ireland.
• Appoint a member of the British Government to take care of the running of Northern Ireland.
• End internment gradually.
• Plan to hold a special vote (referendum) on whether or not there should be a border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
• Talk to local politicians to see if a government made up of members from all parties could be set up.

Losing control over security was too much for the Stormont Government and so all members decided to resign in protest.

The British Prime Minister, Edward Heath then announced that he was going to close the Northern Ireland Government and Parliament down (at first for one year although this was later extended) and start running Northern Ireland directly from London (known as Direct Rule).

Heath appointed William Whitelaw as Northern Ireland’s first Secretary of State

There were a number of responses to the closing down of the Northern Ireland Parliament:

1. The Irish Government and the SDLP were delighted. They saw the end of Stormont as providing the opportunity of a new start for Northern Ireland.
2. While the IRA welcomed the end of Stormont, it saw Direct Rule as evidence of even greater British involvement in the running of Northern Ireland and announced its determination to continue its struggle to achieve a united Ireland.
3. Unionist leaders were outraged at the closing down of ‘their’ Parliament. Massive protests were organised by Ulster Vanguard, but London continued with its plans. There was also an increase in support for loyalist paramilitaries and a spate of sectarian killings. Meanwhile, support for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and other strongly unionist parties also increased.
4. The Northern Ireland Civil rights Association stated that its campaign for civil rights would continue.

If the London Government hoped to make things better by closing Stormont down, it was to be disappointed.

There were more violent deaths in 1972 than there were during any other year of ‘the Troubles’.

Nearly 500 people died in 1972.

As well as Bloody Sunday and an increasing amount of murders and bombings carried out by loyalist paramilitary groups such as the UVF and the UDA(claimed under the UFF name ), these deaths included:

• Nine people on 21st July 1972 as a result of PIRA bombs in Belfast This day became known as ‘Bloody Friday’.
• Nine people on 31st July when PIRA bombs exploded in the village of Claudy, Co. Derry/Londonderry.

For more information, including archive clips, on this subject, visit ����tv: Ten Chapters of the Northern Ireland Troubles ()