IRA Commander to discuss policing future
02 July 2009
Commenting on news that Martin McGuinness is to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss policing and justice TUV leader Jim Allister said:
“It is hardly surprising that Peter Robinson following the humiliation which his party suffered in the European election would seek to cut down on the number of photo opportunities while in Martin McGuinness’s company. However, the fact that McGuinness is traveling on his own to London to discuss policing and justice with Gordon Brown will hardly fill Unionists with confidence.
“There are a number of questions which demand to be answered in relation to this meeting. It appears from press reports that McGuinness is travelling in his capacity as Joint First Minister. Indeed, it appears that McGuinness thought he was going to be traveling with Robinson. Yet a DUP spokesperson has given the impression that Mr Robinson knew nothing about the meeting.
“So is McGuinness meeting with Mr Brown as Joint First Minister rather than a Sinn Fein representative? If so, is Peter Robinson happy that McGuinness is going to be articulating the official position of OFMDFM on policing and justice? This is a question which must be answered by the Office of the Joint First Ministers.
“Secondly, as the positions of First and deputy First Ministers are synonymous and one cannot act without the agreement of the other why does Peter Robinson appear not to have known about the meeting?
“This development, coming hard on the heels of last week’s meeting of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee with Dublin’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Justice Minister, the Garda Commissioner and the Oireachtas Justice Committee, will do little to increase Unionist confidence in the process of devolving policing and justice. Rather, it acts as a reminder of just who will be calling the shots if such powers come to Stormont.”
