Another defeat for Sinn Fein in Europe
16 March 2006
"Sinn Fein's attempt to enlist the European Parliament in support of its Green Paper on Irish Unity has ended in failure. The President of the Parliament sent their request to the Constitutional Affairs Committee, upon which I sit. Today the matter came before the 8 Co-ordinators of the Committee meeting in Strasbourg - I am the co-ordinator for the Non-Attached Members. I am delighted that the Co-ordinators unanimously resolved to reject Sinn Fein's invitation to pursue the matter and thus the issue is now dead.
This was an audacious attempt to peddle their republican agenda through the Parliament, but happily it has floundered. I was happy to play my party in burying it."
