MLA attacks Sinn Fein's 'mixed message' on Police Board
Claims that Sinn Fein will join Northern Ireland’s Policing Board before the next election have hit a “raw nerve”, a nationalist rival argued today.
SDLP Assembly member John Fee claimed Sinn Fein knew its hand had been called on the policing issue following sweeping reforms to the police service.
On the eve of the first anniversary of the SDLP’s decision to take its seats on the Policing Board, the Newry and Armagh MLA alleged Sinn Fein was “searching for political cover” to enable its members to join.
Noting Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy had denied claims by Police Board member Tom Kelly that his party would join the board, Mr Fee also accused his rivals of sending out a mixed message to dissident republicans with their opposition to the new Police Service of Northern Ireland.
“Northern Ireland and all of its people deserve a new police service and the SDLP has been working hard to achieve this,” he said.
“We have been doing this by being involved in the negotiations, arguments and debates that will shape our new police service.
“In what way have Sinn Fein chosen to try and shape our new policing structures? As usual, by doing nothing.
“Sinn Fein are holding back further developments of Patten by their absence from the Policing Board and are denying the nationalist community proper representation within the police by the mixed message they are sending to dissident republicans who feel that young PSNI recruits are fair game for intimidation and attacks.”
Last year, the SDLP became the first nationalist party in the history of Northern Ireland to urge its supporters to join the police service in the wake of Government reforms inspired by the Patten Report.
The party nominated three MLAs - Alex Attwood, Eddie McGrady and Joe Byrne - to the 19-member board.
David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists and the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists also joined the board which is designed to hold the police service accountable and has taken key decisions on the appointment of a new Chief Constable, the future handling of the Omagh bomb investigation and the police emblem.
Sinn Fein, however, refused to take its two seats on the grounds that the Government’s police reforms fell short of its community’s expectations.
The party claimed the Chief Constable of the new police service was still not accountable enough to the board and they were also opposed to the continued use of plastic bullets for riot control.
The Ulster Unionists and Democratic Unionists benefited from Sinn Fein’s refusal to nominate to the board and were allocated an additional seat each.
Mr Fee argued today there wasn’t a home in Belfast, Londonderry, Newry or Crossmaglen that didn’t want a proper police service and proper policing.
The SDLP, he insisted, had not shirked its responsibility in trying to deliver that goal.
By way of contrast, he claimed Sinn Fein could “win an award for standing outside, looking in at things and complaining in a vain attempt to try and make changes.
“The SDLP have made the harder choice and had the political courage to get involved in the policing issue and in that way try to make further changes to policing from the inside.
“Sinn Fein do their supporters a disservice by not joining the board as they are disenfranchising their voters from having any say on an issue that affects us all.
“It is easy to stand outside and criticise - that’s the safe option.
“It is less easy, however, to fully engage in the process of change and leave yourself open to public scrutiny. I hope that Sinn Fein begin to realise this and find the political courage to take the risks that are demanded from them.”
