Paisley: ‘Unionists once again suckered by the ineptitude of Trimble’
The Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionist Party branded the court judgment as a ‘‘humiliating defeat’’ for David Trimble.
Deputy leader Peter Robinson MP said the defeat ‘‘demonstrates once more that David Trimble had neither the wit nor wisdom to understand the agreement he signed in 1998.
‘‘Once again his lonely interpretation is shared by no one other than his minions and leaves Unionists once again suckered by the ineptitude of Trimble and his team’’.
Mr Robinson said that tactically Mr Trimble could have refused to appoint his own delegates.
Such action would have stopped meetings because there would have been no cross-community involvement, but court action could not have been taken against him for refusing to appoint his own party representatives.
‘‘How long will unionism have to put up with a second class leadership continually out-pointed by every nationalist and republican they meet?’’ he asked.
The up-coming General Election provided the opportunity to put matters to rights, he added.
