McGuinness as First Minister only possible because DUP agreed - Allister
07 October 2009
Speaking in Newtownards, where Cllr Williams and Cllr Ennis recently joined Traditional Unionist Voice, the TUV Leader Jim Allister dealt with concerns that Martin McGuinness could become First Minister and revealed this possibility only arose from a change in the law which the DUP agreed and refused to vote against.
In the course of his remarks Mr Allister said:-
"Recent events speak more eloquently to the dysfunctional shambles of Belfast Agreement devolution than anything I could say.
"With the failure of the Stormont on show for all to see, there has been speculation that if the Executive implodes we could have an early Assembly election. TUV would welcome that and right across this Province would provide candidates committed to replace the present undemocratic structures and chaos with good government, built firmly not on appeasing terrorists, but on respecting the fundamentals of democracy, which straightaway would confine mandatory coalition to the bin.
"With talk of an election there has been focus on the possibility of McGuinness becoming First Minister. How could this be? Well the answer to that reveals one of the most shameful episodes in the DUP's history.
"Bad as the original terms of the Belfast Agreement were, at least it guaranteed a Unionist First Minister, because it by law stipulated the First Minister must come from the biggest party of the biggest tradition. At St Andrews that Unionist protection was thrown away and the NI St Andrews Act, passed in November 2006 amended the 1998 Act to remove the position of First Minister from the biggest tradition, Unionism, and instead to gift it to the biggest party. That is the shameful mechanism by which a Sinn Fein First Minister could be foisted on a Unionist majority in the Assembly.
"But the real and indelible shame is that it was done with the connivance of the DUP. Peter Robinson's fingerprints are all over the change, because he thought it was a terribly clever way to duress the Unionist electorate into voting DUP. Shame on him for such a handover of the Unionist title deeds.
"The public should know the history of these events. Post St Andrews the DUP was peppered with dissent, with those less than enamoured with developments kept in the dark as much as possible. When it came to agreeing the terms of the St Andrews legislation in November 2006 two days of secret 'proximity talks' were held in London between the DUP and Sinn Fein, but dissenting Party Officers like myself, Nigel Dodds, William McCrea, David Simpson, Maurice Morrow and Gregory Campbell were neither told, nor invited. Only the trusted coterie of enthusiasts was told. It was at those talks that the DUP conceded the Sinn Fein demand that the First Minister should come from the biggest party, not the biggest tradition.
"And, to make matters worse when the Bill was published and debated in the House of Commons on 21st November 2006 not one DUP MP voted against this monstrous change, or even required a vote, yes, even those behind whose back the deal had been done. At the time I described the change as "a ticking time bomb" for Unionism*, which earned me, not for the first or last time, the fury of the leadership.
"So, when in a future election the DUP try to play the fear card over their partner becoming First Minister, their hypocrisy will be vigorously exposed and they will be reminded that they were complicit and desirous of this appalling change. There is no point in pretending outrage over McGuinness switching into Peter's seat, when it was Peter himself which thought this change in the law so politically expedient. The Good Book aptly says, "Be sure your sins will find you out."
"But this issue throws up questions the DUP must answer. Not just the question, every time the DUP raises the spectre, of why not one of their MPs voted against it, but will they serve under McGuinness? Is their love of power, any power, so great that they will subject themselves and Unionism to such humiliation? Principle will never save us from the DUP propping up IRA/Sinn Fein in government, but maybe pride will!"
*Statement from 17/11/06 http://www.jimallister.eu/default.asp?blogID=541
