McGuinness attacked over 'marxist outburst'
Sinn Fein minister Martin McGuinness was accused today of a "Marxist-type outburst’’ against Northern Ireland Catholic Bishops for backing the British Government’s police reforms.
SDLP Assembly member PJ Bradley called on the Mid Ulster MP to withdraw his comments after he said on Friday that Catholics would not be swayed by the Bishops’ statement urging them to join the new police service.
Mr McGuinness said on Friday the Bishops were speaking only for "a small number of people".
"The Catholic people, the nationalist people, the republican people do not take their politics from Rome."
But in the latest skirmish between the SDLP and Sinn Fein since the moderate nationalist party endorsed the police reforms, Mr Bradley hit back, claiming the Education Minister’s comments would be "music to the ears of Ian Paisley and the Democratic Unionist Party.
"The Marxist-type outburst and the no Pope here tone of Martin McGuinness were enough to make even Ian Paisley jealous.
"His expressed views, attacking the Bishops, the Catholic Church and the Vatican were incoherent and clearly highly objectionable.
"Is Mr McGuinness suggesting that the Church dare not express a view that is different to Sinn Fein’s?
"Is he unable to cope with the Church examining the achievements of the SDLP in returning the implementation plan to the spirit and substance of Patten and agreeing with their analysis?"
The South Down MLA said the MP’s remarks had caused great offence to many people throughout Ireland and should be withdrawn.
He said he had been told by people who claimed to have been Sinn Fein supporters in the past that they were outraged by Mr McGuinness’s comments.
