From prison to punditry centre FOR many years Northern Ireland was a large net importer of advice on how to end its troubles. Nelson Mandela tried to reconcile unionists and republicans in 1997, although he was not wholly successful: the two camps were so hostile to each other that South Africa’s then president had to address them separately. An American former senator, George Mitchell, prodded paramilitary groups to decommission their weapons. Those efforts helped turn Northern Ireland into a mostly peaceful place. And the trade in counsel has reversed spectacularly.Lord Alderdice, a ... Read More