Allister answer Arlene Foster
08 December 2007
Statement by Jim Allister MEP:
“Mrs Foster’s attack upon Traditional Unionist Voice displays wonderful inventiveness. She claims we choose to ignore the fact that Sinn Fein are under pressure. Where is this pressure coming from? Certainly not the DUP who seem prepared to ignore a brutal murder. A statement from her party colleague Sammy Wilson takes pride of place on the DUP website today. It makes no mention of the fact that the IMC blamed the IRA for the murder of Paul Quinn while hailing the last IMC report as evidence that Republicans are committed to peaceful and democratic means” – a strange way to keep pressure on republicans!
Mrs Foster goes on to assert that the current arrangements are working to the benefit of everyone. Tell that to the victims of terrorism who have yet to see the implementation of Bertha McDougal’s report and the appointment of a new victims’ commissioner. Tell that to the parents who do not know what the educational future of their children is after the shambles surrounding post-primary education – courtesy of the Sinn Fein/IRA education minister who holds office because of the DUP’s agreement to work the Belfast Agreement.
Mrs Foster’s reference to Private Frazer suggests that she is a Dad’s Army fan. She will therefore be familiar with Corporal Jones whose frequent refrain was, “Don’t panic! Don’t panic!” The DUP may claim that the Union is stronger than ever but the truth is that Unionists can do nothing in the Assembly without the agreement of Sinn Fein/IRA. A letter cannot even leave the First Minister’s office unless it is sanctioned by McGuinness. And the ultimate obscenity of the Belfast Agreement d’hondt - which denies people their fundamental democratic right to vote a party out of office - remains. This formula is not used anywhere else in the world as a means of forming a government, much less Britain, the cradle of Parliamentary democracy.
For a Party which would write Traditional Unionist Voice off as irrelevant, they have devoted a lot of energy today to attacking it, more than they devote to challenging Sinn Fein, alas. Traditional Unionist Voice’s success will be able to be measured in the increasing vitriol of those it threatens.”
