Statement by Jim Allister MEP on 6 months of Devolution
08 November 2007
Statement by Jim Allister MEP:
“The first 6 months of devolution has singularly failed to bring us good government. Already, the absence of any facility for an Opposition and the self-serving impact of all parties in government are producing a sloppy arrogance which does no one any credit. Perhaps, “Causewaygate” is the most obvious example. In a real democracy, with a vibrant Opposition, Ministers would not be getting away with such behaviour.
But the deeper problem is that at the heart of this government there is the cancer of unrepentant terrorists, acceptance by the DUP that Sinn Fein can still cling to the illegal Army Council of the illegal IRA, and an acquiescence in Sinn Fein cherry-picking over policing, with Ministers condemning terrorist arrests, the IRA threatening crown witnesses and an IRA gang murdering Paul Quinn.
At the head of government is a dysfunctional OFMDFM, incapable of making decisions – witness the debacle over the Victims’ Commissioner and witness the embarrassing farce of question time responses in the Assembly.
After 6 months not only the false promises on securing further delivery from Sinn Fein stand exposed, but the con that we wouldn’t pay for our water is uncovered for all to see. Ian Paisley published a 4 page glossy brochure during the election promising he’d secure a sufficient financial package, as a pre-condition for devolution, to prevent water charges. Now, we find we are all to pay after all. All the hype about extra billions from the Treasury soon faded into a pitiful pittance which suggests an executive out of its depth in negotiating with the Treasury. Of course, the Treasury had the measure of our local politicians; they knew they were bursting for office and, therefore, felt no compulsion to be generous.”
