State Papers: Senior officials in the North 'sustained' Billy Wright and the LVF
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The head of the Northern Ireland Probation Service accused senior officials of intentionally bolstering the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) and its leader, Billy Wright, during his imprisonment in 1997.
Declassified documents released by the National Archives show the head of the probation service in Northern Ireland, Briege Gadd, alleged that elements within the Northern Ireland Prison Service and the Northern Ireland Office were “manipulative and malign” and promoting “a right-wing and unionist agenda".
Ms Gadd claimed such actions were being done deliberately “to help establish and nurture the LVF".
The paramilitary group had splintered from the Ulster Volunteer Force after Wright, who was known as “King Rat,” rejected the UVF’s ceasefire in 1994. Under Wright’s leadership, the LVF became one of the most notorious loyalist groups for the sectarian murder of Catholics.
Ms Gadd’s comments arose from the controversial decision to allocate Wright and other LVF prisoners their own wing in the Maze Prison which officially recognised the LVF as a distinct paramilitary group.
Files show Irish officials had expressed outrage at the decision to officially recognise the LVF as a paramilitary group, claiming the move would bolster Wright’s self-importance and serve as a rallying point for dissident loyalists.
They believed the decision would also “weaken the authority of the relatively moderate and peace-oriented Combined Loyalist Military Command leadership within the Maze".
Other documents show Brendan McAllister of the Mediation Network, who met Wright in prison during the summer of 1997, described him as “articulate, intelligent, and charismatic”. He noted Wright’s ability to inspire loyalty among followers through personal magnetism rather than fear, creating a disciplined cadre with a dangerous capacity for sectarian violence.
Mr McAllister painted a sobering picture of the LVF as a movement driven by a mix of religious fundamentalism, territorial identity, and a belief in upholding a “unionist integrity” they perceived as abandoned by mainstream loyalism.
After LVF prisoners set fire to their wing in July 1997, they were subjected to a strict regime. Held in solitary confinement, they were guarded by prison officers who communicated only through hand signals to avoid identification.
Files show Wright was angered by the introduction of such measures and told Mr McAllister that he believed they were a deliberate attempt to humiliate him.
However, the British authorities defended their actions, citing threats to Wright’s life. Wright was assassinated by Irish National Liberation Army prisoners who smuggled a gun into the Maze in December 1997.