Hain warns Northern parties on devolution moves

22/11/2006 - 13:51:28
Northern secretary Peter Hain today reiterated to the province’s parties that if they are not prepared to make key moves by Friday there would be no point in proceeding with devolution.

He told Democratic Unionists at Commons question time that it was not a question of them “jumping first” in their dispute with Sinn Féin on supporting police and the rule of law.

Mr Hain warned that if the parties were not prepared to indicate their nominations on Friday for first and deputy first minister, “what is the point of proceeding”.

He said DUP statements appearing to suggest it could be some years after Sinn Féin endorsed the Police Service of Northern Ireland before unionists could consider supporting the transfer of policing and justice powers were “hardly an encouragement”.

The Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Bill being rushed through the Lords today sets out a timetable for reviving devolution by March 26. If would create a transitional Assembly from this Friday.

The North’s hopes of securing power sharing by March 26 are dependent on the DUP and Sinn Féin resolving their dispute over republican support for policing and the rule of law.

The DUP wants Sinn Féin to publicly endorse the PSNI.

However Sinn Féin insists it cannot do that until it holds a special party conference to change its policy.

Mr Hain told shadow Northern secretary David Lidington: “If inflammatory statements are made about never devolving policing and justice in my lifetime, in my political lifetime … then that is hardly an encouragement to Sinn Féin to move as quickly as we want them to on policing.

“They are already cooperating on policing as they need to do … but if it is a question of moving this process forward and using statements like ‘never in my lifetime’ when Parliament has expressly legislated for the devolution of policing and justice, then its hardly an encouragement for those who need to fulfil their obligations on policing and the rule of law to do so very quickly.”

The DUP’s Nigel Dodds (Belfast N) said: “Asking parties to designate, nominate or indicate on Friday who people will be to take up certain offices in the future is asking people to jump first before Sinn Féin have made the slightest move whatsoever in terms of support for policing.

“Indeed they have retreated ... demanding that they get their hands on the levers of power over policing before they support policing.”

Mr Hain replied: “It is not a question of jumping first. If there is not a willingness to express even an intention to nominate on Friday for March 26, what is the point of proceeding?”