UUP boycotts policing board in membership protest
Ulster Unionists today stayed away from the first meeting of Northern Ireland’s new Policing Board in protest at its membership.
A party spokesman described it as part of a “selective boycott” because independent, non-elected representatives now outnumber political members of the authority.
The party has accused Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain of turning the 19-member organisation which scrutinises Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde into a quango.
Their anger was intensified over allegations that the rival Democratic Unionists reneged on a pact to stay off with them.
And today, as the new-look Board held its first public session in Belfast, neither of the UUP’s two representatives, MLAs Fred Cobain and Danny Kennedy, were there.
Mr Cobain said later: “I didn’t go today because my views are still the same.
“The Secretary of State has destroyed the political elements and the DUP lied to us.
“The public have to realise just how seriously we are taking this.
“What the Secretary of State has done runs contrary to everything else he’s doing. He’s talking about ending quangos and yet he has created one here.”
Mr Cobain also turned on the DUP, claiming the two parties had an understanding that neither would sit on any Board with a majority of independent members.
Since it was reformed, 11 non-elected and eight political representatives hold seats.
Mr Cobain said: “We had an agreement and the DUP welched on it.”
The UUP tactic drew criticism, however, from Ian Paisley Jr, one of the four Democratic Unionists on the authority. He said: “This obviously is part of their tantrum. When was this agreement they are talking about made? They should publish the terms of it.”
Mr Paisley also suggested his rivals could pay a price for their no-show. He said: “The unionist community will measure their non-attendance in terms of how it affects the overall majority on the Board and how it operates.”
Despite today’s non-attendance, a UUP spokesman would not confirm when they would next turn up. He said: “It’s a selective boycott.
“If things come up which we deem to be crucial we will go on it. But it’s our decision and at our discretion.
“Until the Secretary of State gives us an adequate explanation why he made this change and the DUP give an explanation why they reneged on an agreement then we are not playing a full, active role.”
