＂대처리즘＂의 헌정적 양상 - 대처 집권 시기 북아일랜드 문제에 대한 하원 심의 - (Constitutional Dimensions of Thatcherism - The Commons Debates on Northern Ireland during the Thatcher Years -)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 영국사학회
· 수록지 정보 : 영국연구 / 22호 / 251 ~ 284페이지
· 저자명 : 이태숙

초록

대처리즘의 헌정적 양상을 탐구하기 위하여 대처가 집권한 11년 동안 하원의 주요 북아일랜드 관련 심의를 조사하였다. 북아일랜드 직접통치체제의 기반인 1974년 북아일랜드법의 연장에 대한 12번의 하원 심의에서 우선 수량적으로 북아일랜드 문제에 대하여 하원의 낮은 관심과 대처행정부의 정책 주도권의 확대 소지를 확인했다. 가장 주목되는 북아일랜드정책인 영국-아일랜드협정은 비록 기록적 다수로 비준되었으나 하원에서 해석들은 협정의 내용과 체결과정에서 대처가 중시한 영국주권이 훼손되었다는 평가를 뒷받침한다. 대처의 북아일랜드정책에서 표방한 이념과 실제 정책 사이에 발견되는 이 괴리는, 영국헌정의 수호를 천명했지만 영국헌정의 취약성을 드러내고 논란거리로 만든 대처의 자가당착적 헌정 유산의 한 예를 제공한다.

영어초록

This paper aims to delineate and assess the constitutional dimensions of Thatcherism which have been largely neglected compared to its socio-economic aspects. Major Commons debates on Northern Ireland, mainly annual debates on Northern Ireland Act 1974 (Interim Period Extension) Order which took place 12 times during the 11years of the Thatcher era are examined. This approach is taken because they fairly clearly indicate both the scopes and the vicissitudes of the government as well as the Commons opinions on Northern Ireland.
What this paper finds is firstly that in the Commons the Northern Ireland issues were barely considered major questions, which is demonstrated by the considerable lack (1/3 of annual debates) of divisions and the relatively few MPs (mostly fewer than 200) to vote. This low interests and a kind of consensus in the Commons provided additional rooms for Thatcher’s policy initiative.
In regard to the Anglo-Irish Agreement which is a major breakthrough in Thatcherian Northern Ireland policy, the dominant views put forth in the Commons were that it was a Thatcher's remarkable policy reorientation and that the driving force behind it was the US, specifically Reagan’s, pressure. It is concluded then the Agreement represents a notable abrasion of British sovereignty both in its contents and process of settlement, notwithstanding Thatcher’s persistent emphasis on iew It is further arguable that the discrepancy between Thatcher’s manifestations and her actual policy implements revealed in her Northern Ireland policies adds an example of paradox which Vw Bogdanor identifies in Thatcher’s constitutional legacy, considering the widespread constitutional controversies she entailed in spite of her strong commitment to the protection of the British constitution.

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