Select offer to entice Ulster MPs into Maastricht camp

THE Government is preparing to offer a Commons select committee on Northern Ireland to the Ulster Unionists in return for their support to save John Major from a humiliating climbdown over the Maastrict treaty, writes Colin Brown. .

Their support is being sought to defuse the impact of Labour's new clause 75 - described as a 'ticking time bomb' - that would delay the transfer of powers under the Maastricht treaty until a further Commons vote on the Social Chapter.

Ministers are already planning strategy for winning the second vote with the support of the Unionists and any Tory rebels who change sides. Ministerial sources confirmed yesterday that the main carrot being dangled before the Ulster MPs would be the promise of a Commons select committee to shadow the Northern Ireland Office.

So far, the Ulster Unionists, who opposed the Maastricht treaty at the last election, have refused to support the Government on the Bill. However, ministers believe that they will be prepared to back the Government when the final vote does take place to prevent the Social Chapter from being adopted.

The 12 MPs - nine UUP and three DUP - became an important voting bloc when they opposed the pit-closure programme. To win back their support, the leaders of all the Northern Ireland democratic parties met the Prime Minister to discuss the fate of a local hospital. When the pits vote took place, the Ulster Unionists helped the Government to win with a majority of 22.

(Photograph omitted)