Allister answers Arlene Foster
02 July 2008
Statement by Traditional Unionist Party Leader, Jim Allister MEP:-
“The extent to which my suggestion that Peter Robinson was preparing to cave in on policing and justice has struck a raw nerve with the DUP can be measured in the venom of the statement of response issued in Arlene Foster’s name.
Behind her bluster is the reality that she has no answer to the fact that the DUP is prepared, at some point, to see Martin McGuinness given key functions, as Joint First Minister, in the appointment and removal of our top Judges. This is the real essence of the devolving of policing & justice and the reason why, as long ago as 1st December 2006, I said “the transfer of policing and justice is impossible during the currency of this generation of highly tainted Sinn Fein politicians”. Prominent DUP politicians used to say similar, referring to no prospect of such devolution “in a political lifetime”. I, certainly, have not changed my view, others can be judged by what they are now contemplating.
The policing and justice that is on offer is premised on McGuinness holding these powers. That is why no unionist should want to go there, yet, Peter Robinson is expressing hope of progress and engaging with Sinn Fein on attaining such devolution.
Now, sadly, Arlene has come to the lamentable point where she describes such opposition to the devolving of policing and justice as “anti-Unionist”. The corollary, which she clearly embraces, is that it is pro-Unionist to want McGuinness having a key role in appointing our Judges. I beg to disagree. Thus, it is blatant whitewash to suggest that putting McGuinness in this position is in some way “pro-British” and consistent with traditional unionism. It is ludricrous to compare the loss of law and order powers in the early 1970s with today’s proposition to restore them on condition that IRA/Sinn Fein get a key part of the action.
If I am wrong about the ground being prepared for a soft landing for the DUP’s resistance to early devolution of these powers for McGuinness, then, I challenge Mrs Foster and Mr Robinson to reiteriate that such devolution is out of the question for a political lifetime. Let’s hear them say it.”
