▁principle ▁to ▁f end ▁off ▁Margaret ▁Th atch er ' s ▁more ▁radical ▁schemes ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁initial ▁host ▁of ▁" N ick ' s ▁D iner ", ▁the ▁d ining ▁club ▁where ▁' W ets ' ▁let ▁off ▁anti - Th atch er ▁steam .. ▁▁▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁when ▁Jim ▁Prior , ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁' w et ' ▁Conserv atives , ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁by ▁Th atch er , ▁Scott ▁joined ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁junior ▁Minister . ▁Scott ▁took ▁charge ▁of ▁pr isons ▁very ▁quickly ▁coming ▁under ▁fire ▁when ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁mass ▁break ▁out ▁from ▁the ▁Maz e ▁Pr ison ▁and ▁faced ▁calls ▁to ▁res ign . ▁Prior ▁stood ▁by ▁him , ▁declaring ▁that ▁if ▁Scott ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁res ign ▁he ▁would ▁go ▁as ▁well . ▁Scott ▁became ▁the ▁longest ▁serving ▁minister ▁in ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁and ▁was ▁reward ed ▁for ▁his ▁service ▁by ▁being ▁made ▁Minister ▁of ▁State ▁. ▁ ▁Scott ▁firm ly ▁believed ▁in ▁power ▁sharing ▁in ▁Northern ▁Ireland . ▁A ▁st ance ▁the ▁made ▁him ▁deeply ▁un pop ular ▁with ▁the ▁loyal ist ▁element ▁in ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁, ▁many ▁of ▁who ▁felt ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁greater ▁sympathy ▁for ▁a ▁un ited ▁Ireland ▁than ▁he ▁let ▁on . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁strong ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁Ang lo - I r ish ▁Ag re ement ▁and ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁high ▁regard ▁by ▁the ▁Dublin ▁government ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁SD LP . ▁▁ 1 9 8 7 - 1