PSF-UUP BUDDIES? -- Stormont Watch

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4], 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: Thu, Feb 18 2010, 20:46:29 PST
Author: Forum admin
Subject: PSF-UUP BUDDIES?

LEADERS' RELATIONSHIP ON NEW FOOTING 02/18/10 13:03 EST

NI First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister
Martin McGuinness have told an Assembly committee they are
focused on delivering on the promises of the Hillsborough deal.

Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness faced the assembly and
executive review committee this afternoon to spell out how
the devolution of policing and justice powers will actually
work.

Mr Robinson warned members that if all Stormont's
politicians did not get behind the deal and sell it to the
wider community, it could fail.

The two leaders were also critical of the attitude of the
SDLP and the UUP, urging them to back the policing and
parades agreement.

Mr McGuinness said: "There is overwhelming support, I
believe, despite the protestations of the SDLP. People want
to see us press on."

He added: "We are very conscious of the need to have an
inclusive process, but it requires others to want to be
included. And I think that is the key point as we move forward."

Mr McGuinness, who had previously blamed Mr Robinson for the
pair's poor working relationship, indicated that a new
beginning had been made at Hillsborough.

"Peter and I are prepared to work together. We have had
difficulties in the past. As far as I am concerned they are
in the past."

Mr Robinson said: "We would be the first to put our hands up
and say the issue of policing and justice has been toxic in
OFMDFM (the Office of First Minister and Deputy First
Minister). It has held back a lot of other work."

All parties in the Executive would, he said, be privy to the
conclusions of a working group due to report within days on
a new system for securing local accommodation on contentious
parades.

Mr Robinson said in a series of internal meetings around
Northern Ireland he found strong DUP support for the deal.

He reserved his sharpest criticism for the Traditional
Unionist Voice and its leader Jim Allister, who has promised
to eat into the DUP support base in the election.

Mr Allister, who announced his intention to stand in Ian
Paisley's North Antrim heartland in the general election,
has branded the Hillsborough deal as a sell-out by the DUP.

The First Minister said: "I believe that the commander in
chief of the dissident unionists has been unable to land a
glove on us on this issue. I think that people, quite
frankly, are tired of him and they recognise he has nothing
to offer and nowhere to take them."

But Mr Allister promised to challenge the DUP on its
partnership with Sinn Fein.

The TUV leader said: "Of course this campaign will be about
the big political issues of the day, including the DUP's
roll-over at Hillsborough and Ian Paisley's bequeathing
terrorist-inclusive government to Northern Ireland, but it
will also be about the very important matter of restoring to
North Antrim present and effective representation in the
House of Commons, not least on the bread and butter issues
needing attention in this constituency in these hard
economic times."
__________________________________________________________

The Irish American Information Service is a non-profit organization
providing up-to-the-minute political news from Ireland to the world.
The IAIS is funded entirely by your contributions. Please send your
tax-deductible contributions to IAIS at 505 S East St, Culpeper VA 22701
You can visit us on the Web at http://www.iais.org

__._,_.___
Reply to sender | Reply to group
Messages in this topic (1)

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]