Allister challenges Robinson over McGuinness' past
05 June 2008
On the afternoon Peter Robinson MP took office with Martin McGuinness as Joint First Minister, Jim Allister MEP, pointedly reminded him of what he had previously alleged against McGuinness in the NI Assembly on 8 May 2001, when opposing him as Education Minister. Then Mr Robinson catalogued crimes of which he accused McGuinness as an IRA Commander and referred to his involvement in government as "immoral".
Among the first letters on Mr Robinson's desk as First Minister was this salvo from the TUV Leader:-
"Dear First Minister,
As you take up office as Joint First Minister, it seems appropriate to remind you of what you famously said in the Assembly on 8 May 2001 about your infamous partner. Were you wrong in what you said about McGuinness? Has he been made amenable for any of the multiple offences you alleged against him? Has he - whom it is now claimed supports the police and rule of law - co-operated in solving the horrendous crimes which you mentioned? Or is he still the same unrepentant terrorist you then painted him to be? If so, what are you doing being politically joined at the hip with him? As you so cogently put it yourself on 8 May 2001, when objecting to such a person being Minister of Education, "Are we going to continue with this unseemly and immoral sham?" Are you?
Yours sincerely,
JAMES H ALLISTER QC MEP"
