Sir John Major:

They are very good ones. I remember working with John Alderdice as well, of course, many years ago in the 1990s when he was leader of the Alliance Party. Dr. Farry raised three specific points, the first of which related to Peter Brooke's comment regarding the UK having no selfish economic or strategic interest in Northern Ireland, which was very important. What is intriguing about it is that his speech was delivered only a few days before I became Prime Minister and I was aware it was coming. He had told me because he was a very close friend. At one stage, we were both in the same constituency and our friendship went back a long way, so I did know about it. The interesting point about that, which not many people are aware, is that Peter Brooke was echoing something Tom King had said some years earlier. It was not said in precisely the same language but he had said it and nobody had taken any notice of it. Before Peter Brooke delivered the speech - which if I remember correctly, was actually delivered in his constituency, which is a long way away from Northern Ireland - he briefed people in Northern Ireland, including the political parties, three weeks beforehand. Having briefed them in advance, they knew what he was going to say would be significant, they listened to it and it did make a difference but it was a repetition of something Tom King had said some years earlier.

On European Union integration, the European Union in the context of the final Good Friday Agreement was of considerable importance. When Ireland joined the European Union, it changed the relationship with the UK as well because there we were, at the same meetings, with the same common interests. We did not have to artificially arrange a summit or a meeting, travel to Dublin or travel to London; there we were, together in the same place. It certainly was extremely helpful. That simple fact was extremely helpful in actually improving the relationship, letting Ministers get to know one another better and indeed, get to know each country better because each country's interests were often expressed during EU meetings and we heard them. Often we voted together or campaigned together and it helped to build the relationship. It was very important indeed and I was aware of that during the negotiations.

The Maastricht treaty negotiations were almost as complicated as the peace process but did not take quite as long. They had a long tail in the UK and still have. One cannot join a body like the EU without surrendering some sovereignty but one gains a great deal of sovereignty as well. It is not a one-way trip. One gains a great deal of sovereignty in terms of what other people do. We live in a world with China, Russia and the trading power of the United States.

Unless Europe is going to work together, we Europeans will find ourselves less powerful in a competitive and difficult world. That is the basis of my wishing to be in the European Union, not because I wish to surrender sovereignty or have to do some things because of European law that I did not like. That happens, but it is relatively trivial compared with the security and interests of this generation and the next that Europe, as a whole, works together to make sure it is protected against winds from outside. One can see what is happening at the moment in Ukraine and the danger there. Economically, the competitive danger from China is evident, and so is the competitive thrust from the United States. They may be our great allies in military and other matters, but they are economic competitors. I am utterly unrepentant about my Europeanism. Europe is in the interest of my children and grandchildren because they will be more secure, safer and richer. That applies to Ireland as much as it does to the UK. Dr. Farry is entirely right that European integration is of great importance. When Tony Blair and I went to Derry in, I think, 2016-----