Basil Stanlake Brooke (1888-1973) was born in County Fermanagh. He was opposed to the idea of a United Ireland and wanted Northern Ireland to stay a British territory. To act against the IRA, he founded the Ulster Special Constabulary , in 1920; a military police composed of Unionists and Protestants, and re-formed the Ulster Volunteers Forces . Thus, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Unionist Party, then Minister of Agriculture, and of Commerce and Production. His contribution to the British victory during the World War II allowed him to become Prime Minister of Northern Ireland in 1943. Then, to react against the campaign anti-partition of the Nationalists, he called an election, putting forwards that the country was in danger . He won and was rewarded for his devotion with the Ireland Act, which formalized the belonging of Northern Ireland to the Commonwealths and the creation of the Republic of Ireland. In 1959, the IRA tried to react with a border campaign but it failed. In 1963, he had to resign because he failed in solving the work crisis. He died in 1973.
To the British newspaper The Times, he made one mistake in his career: in 1933, he made a controversial speech saying that no Catholics had to be employed in Northern Ireland . Terence O’Neill, his successor as Prime minister, described him as ‘a lazy man of limited ability’ . He meant that he was unable to modernize the economy because he was afraid to lose the support of his Party.
His education influenced him; it allowed him to defend what he thought to be fair. He devoted his life to defend the Ulster’s heritage and support the United Kingdom: he condemned the Easter Rising of 1916, saying it was a betrayal against Britain. Nevertheless, it can be said he was paradoxical: in 1945, the Labour party came in power in Britain. Afraid of socialism, he considered leaving Britain before he realized the Welfare State could be