Promises, promises..
A quick point to note on the Sinn Féin manifesto, launched today. The PA report has some interesting detail on the pledges it contains – more below the fold
Sinn Fein also pledged in its 50-page manifesto to:
:: Achieve fully democratically accountable civic policing, secure the transfer of policing and justice powers from Westminster to Stormont by May 2008, develop a balanced and comprehensive strategy to acknowledge and address the suffering of victims and survivors, force the British government to acknowledge its role in collusion and shoot-to-kill, block the secondment of Police Service of Northern Ireland officers to MI5, guarantee all-party representation on the Policing Board special purposes committee, and ensure the Police Ombudsman has statutory access to all information held by the PSNI and statutory powers to hold all police officers to account. [added emphasis]
The problem for SF is that, while such a pledge may satisfy their own conditions for the Ard Chomhairle to eventually implement the motion passed at the recent Ard Fheis, the British government have made it as clear as they can that the devolution of policing and justice powers, however restricted those powers may be, will ultimately depend on conditions on the ground – “nor is the power available to the Government”
As with all politicians, Pete, you really can’t fault them, in the sense the have to say *something* on the matter… and it’s good to have goals.
The part that interests me is the unknowable comsequences of success — what would be the fall-out of actually accomplishing said goal. I would sincerely suspect that, in the process of “force(ing) the British government to acknowledge its role in collusion and shoot-to-kill, block the secondment of Police Service of Northern Ireland officers to MI5, guarantee all-party representation on the Policing Board special purposes committee, and ensure the Police Ombudsman has statutory access to all information held by the PSNI ” a great many *other* things will work and worm their way out of the wood-work. For instance, the collusion issue is at *LEAST* a double-edged blade, if not a veritable Swiss Army knife of blades, cork-screws and other sharp edges.
As a minimum, I would suspect that Adams and company are ill-prepared for the other hobgoblins that would come out of this process. This most likely just a sop of crust and gravy for the party faithful — long on talk, ultimately short on action and results.
“comprehensive strategy to acknowledge and address the suffering of victims and survivors”
What moronic drivel….. this is Northern Ireland not Bosnia Iraq Afghanistan or Palistine.
Survivors…. hmmm lets see thats one million six hundred and ninety six thousand nine hundred and fifty of us then….. Do you want to award us all D.L.A for life then?
Oh dear, more new Labour crap from the shinners, have they issued a little card with the pledges on. I have no problem with political party’s making pledges, but what is the use if there is no mention of what they will do if they fail to meet their pledges by the time line they give.
You see this is just more of the bastardization of language that double dealing politicos go in for these days. All Partys make manifesto commitments, but most of us regard making a pledge as doing something honorable. Not these buggers it seems.
I welcome many of the commitments SF have made, the question is does anyone in that partys leadership actually believe they will achieve what they pledge.
And lo! The transformation of the Shinners is (almost)complete – power -hungry as ever and willing to play the bourgeois political game to get it. Principles, schminciples! Can’t wait for the bearded one’s next ‘breakfast meeting’ with the ‘business gnomes of Dublin’ (IBEC), and hard to see how the likes of the PDs are not salivating over the prospect of showing the contradictions in SF’s recent evolution in terms of economic policy. From permenant revolution to permenant evolution!
In the Sinn Féin manifesto they pledge to “work to end the use of plastic bullets.” What happened to the oft-repeated call of ‘end plastic bullets now?’
Maybe the critics are right and they are slowly turning into the SDLP.
Michael
Well that – the use of AEPs – would be an operational matter.. and therefore a decision for the Chief Constable
Pete,
The Chief Constable would have the final say but as we were continually told during Sinn Féin’s consultation process ahead of the special Ard Fheis, the policing board now has power to makes changes on issues such as plastic bullets. Sinn Fén often criticsed the SDLP for not taking action on the issue of plastic bullets through the policing board.