Ian Paisley

In his article in the Sunday Times, Liam Clark says of Ian Paisley: "At a lunch many years ago a close associate of the DUP leader gave me his secret: 'Ian will never be a member of anything that he doesn’t lead. He has to be in charge.'"

I've heard this many times about Paisley as he was always setting up new organisations: The Ulster Free Presbyterian Church, the DUP, Ulster Resistance etc. On the issue of Ulster Resistance, he set up an army style organisation and then broke off links with it when they were alleged to have obtained weapons. Funny that, a defensive 'army' style organisation wanting to have weapons!

In the rest of the UK and further afield, many people believed (and still believe) that Paisley was one of the main troublemakers. It's quite an 'achievement' to be more hated than the Provisional IRA - an organisation that has murdered and maimed so many people.

Different people have different ways to get to the top. Many would say that Paisley's path was dividing Unionism, shouting the loudest, stirring up division and then when offered the top job, developing a 'Chuckle Brothers' act with Provisional Sinn Fein/IRA leader McGuinness. Others have supported Paisley the last 40+ years as they say the Ulster Unionists and the Government were often weak and willing to give concessions to murdering terrorists before they handed in their weapons and supported the police.

Whatever your opinion, the fact remains that from a career point of view, Paisley reached the top and earned lots of money during his long time as a politician. However, as the Reverend himself might say, has he built his house on sand or on rock?