Hardline unionists blamed for mock Paisley-McGuinness leaflet
Bemused residents in Antrim have been receiving leaflets complete with a mock illustration of the photo which must be haunting the DUP leadership at present: namely, DUP leader Ian Paisley alongside co-office holder in the OFM/DFM, Martin McGuinness.
Hardline unionists are being blamed for distributing the ‘spook leaflets,’ in which the two MPs appear with their party logos between a banner headline proclaiming the ‘Unholy Alliance.’ Accompanying the leaflet is a copy of the DUP consultation document on the St Andrew’s deal with red writing throughout highlighting the perceived inadequacies of the deal from a unionist perspective.
The story is carried in this week’s Antrim Guardian newspaper (though not online), and includes a quote from the DUP MP for the area, Rev Willie McCrea.
McCrea reiterates the DUP stance that the deal is simply an agreement between the two governments, but continues by stating:
“Sinn Fein are going around telling their supporters that policing and justice powers will be transferred by 2008. If they are holding their breath for that, they will be holding it until they not only go red but until they choke because the unionist people of northern Ireland have no stomach for the handing over of those powers for a long time.”
The DUP are about to get a good deal and the silly spin boys from the UUP and hardliners are going to blow the best chance we have had for a decade, you are letting the DUP of the hook and consigning us to a plan B that will give the Irish Governemnt a greater say in Northern Irelands affairs and there will be nothing we can do about it, well done i hope you are proud of yourselves
T&J: You’re ex-UUP (correct me if i’m wrong). Surely even you and Stevie Wonder can see that the GFA was the better deal out of the two? (the other being SAA…obviously.) At least under the GFA only Unionist cats had the power of veto, and there wasn’t any ‘keerrazzzzyyy’ Irish Language Act?
Admit it – you flip-flop from UUP to DUP depending on who has the political upper-hand?
yer woman, no Im exuup , thanks
*Rolls eyes and tuts loudly*
With devolved policing powers, unionists would be able to veto measures such as opening up police recruitment to those with criminal records.
While such powers remain at Westminster there is little to stop Hain or his successor making such a concession to the Provos.
willowfield
Most people with records must be too old to join by now.
Good point Willowfield.
Policing should be politically neutral and held to account by the people they serve.
A police service under the control of a local assembly is a shared police force and any major change will be an agreed change.
Politicians need to be able to keep police accountable just as police need to be able to keep politicians accountable.
Only in this way can the police and politics be seperate and ‘owned’ by the people.
Of the people, for the people, by the people, as i’m sure Mr Orde and the PSNI themselves would prefer.
DUP have only themselves to blame
Take a look at the last Assembly manifesto (it can be found at http://www.dup.org.uk )
Two paragraphs are there:
Do you want Sinn Fein/IRA representing
Northern Ireland across the world?
- Do you want Sinn Fein/IRA appointing
High Court judges?
- Do you want Sinn Fein/IRA to control
public appointments in Northern Ireland?
- Do you want Sinn Fein/IRA to run policing
in Northern Ireland?
- Do you want Sinn Fein/IRA to control
Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland?
- If the Belfast Agreement is allowed to stay
in place then Sinn Fein/IRA has its place
in government permanently assured.
Only a vote for the DUP can stop this happening.
A vote for the Ulster Unionists will make this nightmare a reality.
There are many many more examples in the manifesto…………the DUP blantantly deceived the electorate and now wonder why so many of their voters are against their ‘Fair Deal’ of the SAA.
We have had almost 10 wasted years because of the DUP hunger for power. The DUP leadership didn’t oppose the GFA they opposed the UUP as had they supported the GFA in 1997 onwards the DUP would be amost non existant today……….. but we would all have been better off.
‘the DUP blantantly deceived the electorate’
To be fair to the DUP (very unlike me) they are the ones who have pushed for a new election.
They will have honoured their Previous committments.
Their next manifesto will be full of more ambiguous wording….
WOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Haunting………yes………woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Bob Wilson
That is the public version of what they want……….in private the members do not all want it due to the backlash in the FP church and the DUP voters at large.
Yokel
??????????????? if you want to make a comment make it.
I just did.
If you choose not to pick it up thats up to you.
if t&j thinks that the saa is a good deal
he should ring ivan foster
the dup headboy did not reply to ivan this morning on good morning ulster isuspect he has no answers to the comments from ivan
‘To be fair to the DUP (very unlike me) they are the ones who have pushed for a new election.’
If it was a referendum on the SAA you would very possibly get a quite substantial rejection of it.
The DUP going for an election is the smarter move – the UUP are not going to pick up the dissenters within the DUPs electorate as that bridge is all but burnt.
The ‘Hardline Unionists’ No campaign could grab a few votes, but in reality the DUP will have no quality opposition.
My my someone can use photoshop and knows how to put a leaflet through a door. The DUP’s political plans will now come crashing down round their ears.
Called an Ard Fheis yet Chris?
Unless PH gets his vague indication of who the DUP would nominate IF devolved government was formed then he should rap it all up as he threatened and cut the money. They don’t deserve another penny.
Everyone is suffering because of the DUP’s sectarian intransigence.
We are not even sure if the DUP would share power with SF even if they endorsed policing.
Its not rocket science, get on with it.
the DUP are all over the place.
They have been sucked in by Blair, sold a pup and now have a worse deal than Trimble.
there only hope is to go to the UUP apologise for the mess and ask them to help sort it out. Otherwise we will see the devolution crashing and all the pain Unionist suffered – prisoner releases tc will have been for nothing.
If it was a referendum on the SAA you would very possibly get a quite substantial rejection of it.
Too true, as far as I can see there is very little support for this ‘deal’ not only that Paisley, Hain and all the rest know it, hence the election rather than a referendum.
What is the point of having an agreement overwhelmingly endorsed by the electorate if politicians can fundamentally change the frames of reference without the endorsement of the electorate? It shows scant regard for democracy.
The DUP have sat around sniping and now they are in the driving seat they have been found to be a lot more inept than those they criticise. What is saving the DUP is lack of effective competition but the ingredients are there for their eventual decline.. There is an open goal if any group can effectively organise. The election in March may be less predictable than we think.
FD
Firstly, I don’t possess the power to call an Ard Fheis.
Secondly, along with most republicans, I am quite comfortable in the position of not pushing for an Ard Fheis unless and until the matters of MI5′s role here and that of a strict timetable over the devolution of policing powers is agreed.
In austral climes, perhaps the air is clearer.
Gerry enticed David into powersharing by making the right noises on decommissioning, then broke him and the rest of the power seeking UUP by procrastinating for years.
Same tactic now – entice the power seeking DUP ino powersharing, by making all the right noises on policing, then break them apart by procrastinating for years.
No more Unionists in Government!
Hain has to call their bluff and set a date for devolution but certain dumbos can’t see that. R and D come to mind. No not the scientific R and D – just the dumbos.
Simple effective formula – demonstrate that this statelet is ungovernable and get on to the next phase – Condominium Government- a brilliant strategy for achieving their longer term objectives.
But I shuuder in the austral cold to think of the Sociast fall out.
“there only hope is to go to the UUP apologise for the mess and ask them to help sort it out. Otherwise we will see the devolution crashing and all the pain Unionist suffered – prisoner releases tc will have been for nothing. ”
I’m waiting for the UUP to apologise for the release of prisoners.