Defending the Political Morality of the Peace Process

Abstract

Deception has played an important role in advancing the Northern Ireland peace process. This article discusses the morality of British Prime Minister Tony Blair's deception to secure a `Yes' vote during the referendum campaign on the Good Friday Agreement 1998. This chapter explores the morality of Blair's deception from both Idealist and Realist, and nationalist and unionist, perspectives. The Idealist argues that morality does and should play an important role in politics. The Realist approach, by contrast, argues that morality is not, and should not be, influential on politics. A Constructivist Realist argument is advanced which combines Realism and Idealism to defend Blair's deception as `honourable'.