When people are divided, the only solution is agreement.

In coming to that agreement, my party had a clear philosophy throughout. In Northern Ireland, we should have institutions that respected the differences of the people and that gave no victory to either side.

I never thought in terms of being a leader. I thought very simply in terms of helping people.

Like everybody at that age, I read an awful lot of pulp fiction. But at the same time, I also read quite a bit of history and read that as much for pleasure as part of a curriculum.

Therefore they should come to the table and reach an agreement that would protect their identity.

My father was unemployed and I was the eldest of seven children. We were very poor. And when you ask how did we support ourselves, the only funding that we had was unemployment payments.

The violence had broken out in both sides, but our philosophy as a party was very, very clear.