Sinn Fein winning policing & justice struggle - Allister
14 October 2009
Extract from a speech by TUV Leader Jim Allister QC in
“When political lifetimes melt into a few months you know who’s winning the struggle over policing and justice. Money will buy out principle. When defeat comes, of course, it will be dressed up as another momentous victory for Unionism, just like getting Martin McGuinness as your Joint First Minister. However, anyone with a brain in their head can see who’s driving this process and who is achieving their strategic objective of ending British control and getting policing and justice into an Executive where IRA/Sinn Fein holds sway.
“Never forget what the 2005 Sinn Fein manifesto said: “Our strategy is for a new all-Ireland policing and justice system. That cannot be achieved without the transfer of policing and justice powers away from London, into an Executive and Assembly and the all-Ireland institutions.”
“Nor, will we in TUV let the outgoing DUP MP for
“You are often disappointed the most by those you expect the most of and those who brag of their steadfastness. And, so it is with William McCrea. But early on in the struggle in the DUP after
“If ever William McCrea failed the Unionists who elected him in South Antrim it was on 21st November 2006. That night was 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. In the St Andrews negotiations 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.
"When the NI St Andrews Bill was published, after two days of secret proximity talks in London between the DUP and Sinn Fein, it contained this bombshell that Sinn Fein could become First Minister. Yet, when it was debated in the House of Commons on 21st November 2006 not one DUP MP, William McCrea included, voted against this monstrous change, or even required a vote. They all meekly accepted this notorious and treacherous change.
"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! How will William McCrea’s stomach be on that day of reckoning and wretching?"
