Allister warns of policing and justice ploy
16 March 2009
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister MEP
“History shows us that IRA/Sinn Fein is adept at turning bloodshed to their advantage. On the back of last week’s brutal murders I now expect a renewed push for the devolving of policing and justice, based on the wholly phoney contention that things would be better with policing in local hands. HMG will be equally willing to play this card and the ever biddable Church leaders could follow. Will any Unionists? I trust not.
In fact tackling terrorism would be more dysfunctional with policing and justice devolved, because some powers would vest in Stormont and some, like anti-terrorism legislation, in Westminster. Likewise intelligence gathering would be disjointed, if, as seems inevitable national security agencies had to be relied upon. Thus, on logistical and operational grounds the devolving of policing and justice is now even less warranted. But, such will not stop some seeking leverage from the carnage to promote their politicised policing agenda.
Recent events, for me, make policing and justice devolution even less palatable. Given the pre-murder opposition of Sinn Fein to improving intelligence, followed by the equivocation of the Sinn Fein leadership over the murder of the soldiers – which according to Adams was merely “wrong and counter-productive”, but, significantly he never called it what it was, murder – I am confirmed in my view that I never want to see policing and justice devolved to an Assembly and Executive where Sinn Fein hold sway.
No one should forget that Sinn Fein vehemently opposed, and still does, recourse to the best surveillance and intelligence techniques and assistance to face down the republican terrorist threat. Thereby they confirmed their unfitness to get anywhere near policing and justice.”
