(by Martin Smyth, Irelandclick.com)

One month ago I celebrated 20 years of serving South Belfast as its Member of Parliament. On the March 4 1982, I won the South Belfast by-election which first took me to Westminster. Northern Ireland has changed considerably since but there are still similarities between then and now.

The twentieth anniversary was not a completely happy occasion as the by-election occurred because the Reverend Robert Bradford was murdered by the IRA in the previous November.

In fact, in the years before and after I first became an MP, an elected representative from the constituency office which I still use, was shot by the IRA. Edgar Graham was the victim in 1983. Both were highly-talented and a major loss to my party and unionism.

There was much anger and frustration then with the response of the Thatcher government’s security policy to the loyalist and republican violence which blighted Northern Ireland.

Today, there may be less violence than there was in the early 80’s, but that is of little comfort to those new and existing victims, and security policy is still an issue as today’s government proceeds with the removal of barracks and watchtowers despite new incidents, bombings and arms finds.

Even in 1982 we had a double-dealing government. Four months before my election, Mrs Thatcher made her "Northern Ireland is as British as Finchley" speech, but the previous week she established the Anglo-Irish Inter-Governmental Council with Garrett Fitzgerald. Later, when she had an even bigger majority, she listened more to her civil servants than unionists in the Commons or Northern Ireland, and signed the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Tony Blair has more seats than Margaret Thatcher ever managed and he too refuses to listen as he uses his majority to steamroller through concessions to republicanism.

At that time too, Jim Prior was pushing ‘rolling devolution’. I have always favoured good government in local hands and in the Assembly which his scheme brought forth, I chaired the Committee on Health, and later that on Finance and Personnel.

Now with devolution, many of the issues my office and I have always dealt with are outside my Westminster remit, although that has not stopped constituents bringing those issues to us, nor us dealing with those problems.

My own concerns about the Assembly and Executive are no secret but they are as much about its size and accountability, concerns which are shared by many out there, as they are about sharing power with those who have not proved themselves to be true democrats.

Throughout my twenty years as an MP and my over thirty years as a Party Officer, I have faithfully served the Ulster Unionist Party through many highs and lows.

In 1982, like today, times were difficult for the UUP.

In the 1981 Council elections, the DUP polled more votes but against our larger number of seats. That increased the pressure ahead of the Assembly elections in October 1982 and the South Belfast by-election itself was hotly contested between both parties.

Competitive tensions will always exist, but it was demonstrated that those could be set aside when the greater interests of unionism required it.

The campaign against the Anglo-Irish Agreement provided one example. This South Belfast seat is another, where with changing patterns and other factors, the DUP have not stood in an Westminster election since 1983, allowing me to unite the majority of the unionist family behind me to win.

Last June, I won the highest share of the unionist vote I have ever achieved, when challenged for it. I will always advocate such cooperation in the interests of unionism, regardless of the brand.

When first elected, this constituency was portrayed as a collection of leafy suburbs, whereas its areas of real need are now more widely acknowledged, although getting the resources in place is as difficult as ever, and many of the problems which confronted us then, such as the state of the NHS, still face us now.

Despite all the low points, my twenty years representing South Belfast have been enjoyable and I look forward to many more in the future.

Having fought and won seven Westminster elections, I am proud that last year, despite it being nearly twenty years on, the voters saw fit to increase both my vote and my majority.

I thank the people of South Belfast for their continuing support over the years because I am always aware that they put me here.

Those who forget that and take the voters for granted do so at their own peril.

This article appeared first on the Irelandclick.com web site on April 4, 2002.

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