Devolution here to stay - Trimble
Devolution is here to stay in Northern Ireland, Stormont First Minister David Trimble said tonight.
After meeting the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw at Stormont, along with Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan, Mr Trimble rounded on political rivals for saying they were opposed to the Good Friday Agreement although they were involved in the institutions it established.
The Ulster Unionist leader, whose party later this week will decide if hard-line MPs David Burnside and Jeffrey Donaldson will be allowed to run for seats in the next Assembly election despite opposition to the Agreement, declared: “We operate here, myself and Mark (Durkan) on the basis that devolution is here and will continue to function.
“I cannot think, actually, there is any serious doubt about that.
“There are parties in Northern Ireland who sometimes describe themselves as anti-Agreement, but the truth of the matter is all those parties are fully involved in the operation of the institutions here – even if they have not got the courage to say so, they are fully committed to it.
“So I am quite confident that devolution here is here to stay.”
Mr Trimble was commenting as Northern Ireland’s 108 Assembly members prepared to return next week for arguably their most intense period at Stormont yet.
Government departments have undertaken a heavy workload in an attempt to almost double the amount of legislation passed at Stormont.
The political parties are also preparing for selection meetings in September and October for candidates for the next Assembly elections.
In Mr Trimble’s Ulster Unionist Party, members opposed to the Good Friday Agreement will be hoping to make their mark at several selection meetings.
Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson and South Antrim MP David Burnside will this Friday seek permission to bid for a second elected office by running in next year’s Assembly elections.
Mr Donaldson was refused permission to contest his own constituency of Lagan Valley in 1998.
However, Mr Trimble was given permission to run in his Westminster constituency of Upper Bann and the then deputy leader John Taylor, now Lord Kilcloney, was also given permission to run in his constituency in Strangford.
Party rules require Ulster Unionists to get special permission if they want to be elected to a second post.
The Ulster Unionists are expected to face a severe challenge for pole position in unionism in the next Assembly election from the Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists.
The DUP are expected to exploit unionist unease about Sinn Fein’s participation, and continued allegations about IRA activity in Northern Ireland and Colombia against Mr Trimble.
However, the First Minister hit back at them tonight by describing them as “so-called anti-Agreement” politicians.
”Whatever noises offstage you might hear from time to time, the truth of the matter is that so-called anti-Agreement elements are fully committed and full participants in the arrangements and do not pose a serious threat – except possibly through their own incompetence,” he said.
Mr Trimble and Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan discussed European Union issues with the Foreign Secretary during his visit to Stormont.
Mr Straw also testified before the Assembly’s Committee of the Centre following his call earlier today in Scotland for a European constitution.
