In the early 1970s Billy was involved in the formation of the Young Citizen Volunteers and was later influential in brokering the loyalist ceasefire of 1994. This was despite the fact that Hutchinson had been a noted sceptic on the issue and had criticised David Trimble because of it, arguing that his insistence on republican decommissioning was in fact damaging the peace process. The aftermath of Brexit will increase the importance of understanding the thinking of people like him. We had an organisation before we went into the UVF and we were all young, and the difficulty with that was we just couldn’t see a way out. A protest followed outside the police station in which he was being held although ultimately Hutchinson was released without charge.

Hutchinson was born in Stoke-upon-Trent and played for Fenton Red Star before joining Stoke in 1888.There are other challenges, not least Covid-19 and Brexit; Hutchinson voted to remain because “I believe in Europe”. Love, loathe, admire or condemn him, there is no escaping Hutchinson's place in the loyalist history of Northern Ireland.

It is now clear that in 1998 the political text and spin around what the Agreement would do, was belied by what- as a matter of law- it actually ended up doing. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice. In October 1974, Hutchinson and a fellow YCV member, Thomas Winstone, drove up Northumberland Street (which links the Shankill to the neighbouring Falls Road, Belfast, a republican area) at 7:30 in the morning. Over the weekend, the Sunday Life reported that senior UVF figures have warned that loyalists will “wreck the place” and “the streets will be in flames” if any Brexit deal between the UK and EU does not meet their demands.

Soon after his release from prison Hutchinson became active in the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) and began working towards the establishment of the Northern Ireland peace process. He also saw the Civil Rights movement as a front for the IRA, and the IRA as attempting to force unionists into a united Ireland. When Hutchinson learned of this he entered Torrens and convinced the UVF members to put down their weapons, even standing in front of the AK-47 wielder to prevent him approaching Ardoyne. Unlike 1998, it won’t be a role which is internal to the talks, but nevertheless the loyalist voice is an important one and I have no doubt that there will be an effort to persuade loyalism to adopt a position favourable to the proposed deal.

What I did find disturbing about the book was his lack of ability to admit to the crime he was convicted of: the shooting of two innocent Catholics.

Members of the UVF fired shots at Unity Flats and it was around this time Hutchinson became a member of the organisation, describing his part in the rioting as "my initiation" into the UVF. Mr Hutchinson said one of the legacies of the agreement was that it had succeeded in bringing about an end to most violence. At 18 Hutchinson was involved in the sectarian murders of two Catholic half-brothers, Edward Morgan and Michael Loughran, in Belfast in 1974; he was subsequently jailed for life, and served 15 years in prison, where he became the commanding officer of the UVF/Red Hand Commando prisoners. Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) leader Billy Hutchinson said the concept of powersharing at Stormont had been usurped by control by the two largest parties who, he stated, had been unable to work together.