Tough rhetoric coming back to haunt parties - Durkan
The Democratic Unionists’ and Sinn Féin’s tough rhetoric of recent years is now coming back to haunt them, nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan said today.
As speculation mounted that a section of the DUP had challenged Ian Paisley’s authority at Stormont yesterday, Mr Durkan said Sinn Féin was also being taken to task by some of its members about its approach to policing.
“I have talked before about the DUP wrestling with its own political schizophrenia,” the Foyle MP said.
“What you’re saying in the DUP and in Sinn Féin is the past rhetoric coming home to roost.
“The fact is that Sinn Féin sustained anti-police and anti-SDLP rhetoric in recent years and now some of their own people are asking what they are doing now they are on the verge of signing up to policing arrangements.
“At the same time the DUP would not agree to power sharing arrangements even with the SDLP and now some of their people are asking why are they on the verge of sharing power with parties including Sinn Féin – something they attacked the Ulster Unionists for.”
The North’s Assembly members were forced yesterday to abandon their first meeting since last month’s St Andrews plan for reviving power sharing was launched by prime minister Tony Blair and the Irish Taoiseach.
The Assembly was sensationally evacuated when loyalist killer Michael Stone barged into Parliament Buildings carrying a bag with at least six explosives and carrying a gun and a knife.
Security staff wrestled him to the ground.
Inside the debating chamber, there was confusion before the security scare when it appeared the Democratic Unionist Party leader, Ian Paisley, had refused to declare he would be his party's nominee for first minister next March if all sides kept to the St Andrews deal.
Northern secretary Peter Hain had warned that if the DUP failed to make its intention clear, the Assembly would be dissolved and the British and Irish governments would implement their Plan B.
The British government later accepted comments made by Mr Paisley to the Press Association, clarifying his position.
The North Antrim MP said: “I have always said, as I said today in the Assembly, what my intention will be if policing and all of the other outstanding issues that are before us are settled.
“Everyone already knows that in those circumstances after they are delivered I would accept the First Minister’s nomination provided the election results are favourable.”
Mr Paisley’s remarks followed the issuing of a statement by 12 of his Assembly members, claiming the DUP had not played ball with the Government’s demand for them to signal Mr Paisley would be first minister next March alongside Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister.
In an unprecedented move, the 12 Assembly members, who included MPs Nigel Dodds, Gregory Campbell, William McCrea and David Simpson, issued their own statement outside of the normal party structures.
“Given the total lack of movement on behalf of Sinn Féin on the issue of support for the rule of law, the courts and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, nothing that we have said or done today can be taken by the government as an indication that they can imply Shadow, Designat or any other status to anyone in relation to the Office of first and deputy first minister.”
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey described the 12 MLAs’ move as a dramatic development.
“Never ever before in the entire existence of the DUP has any statement come from the membership challenging the official word of the leader,” he said.
Mr Durkan today queried the point of yesterday’s Assembly meeting if the Government was going to accept a statement from Mr Paisley issued through the media.
“The reality is the two governments are now relying upon comments to the press by Ian Paisley which will make people wonder what was the point of the Assembly meeting,” the SDLP leader said.
“The fact is deadlines in the St Andrews Agreement are slipping despite warnings from both Governments about the consequences.
“The two governments are going to have to show a bit more backbone in this process.”
