“they are answerable to those to whom they sold that package”
The BBC report of NI First Minister Peter Robinson’s interview on the Politics Show today focuses on one quote relating to the deputy First Minister’s complaint. From the BBC report.
“Simply because Sinn Fein has a demand and can’t get other parties to agree with their demand isn’t an example of inequality, it means that they haven’t been able to pursue their political agenda or at least that aspect of it. “There’s no requirement on me to meet the demands of Sinn Fein and to fulfil their political agenda,” [Peter Robinson] told the BBC’s Politics Show.
But there was another equally important exchange during the interview about the latest manufactured “crisis”.
[Jim Fitzpatrick] “Sinn Féin sold the whole idea for support for policing on the fact that policing and justice would be devolved. Do you know how difficult that was for them? They’re not seeing any progress on that issue…[Peter Robinson] “Well, if Sinn Féin oversold what they thought they could achieve then they are answerable to those to whom they sold that package. The reality is they weren’t entitled to sell it.”
Continued
[Peter Robinson] “The St Andrews Agreement was clear. There was no commitment to any date for policing and justice in the St Andrews Agreement.
“Immediately the agreement was published, Dr Paisley, on behalf of the party, with his colleagues around him, indicated very clearly that the Democratic Unionist Party had not signed up for any particular date for policing and justice. But because it was a party priority to get policing and justice we would continue to work towards it.
“We have, in the legislation at Westminster, got clear conditions which allow us to determine when and why we would move forward with policing and justice.
“So they had no right to be indicating to anybody that policing and justice would come in a particular period of time. We weren’t under any commitment to do so whatsoever.”
Good luck with the one”-Pete
Good luck with the other one.
“You know the answer.The dup wish to recross certain rubicons and for the moment both governments are pressing them and not sinn féin.”
Of course they are, Guest.
“sinn Féin have endorsed policing under defining assumptions”
Of course they have, Guest.
Good luck re-crossing that rubicon.
Well,I think that we have wished each other enough good luck and seem to have come to arrived at phoney war nonsense.
Probably about right,all considered.
Both parties are trying to claw back on certain issues.My point is that Sinn Féin have a defined mechanism to do so,whilst the DUP endorsed ST.Andrews without any internal mechanism to recross their rubicon except mutual veto.Interesting?
How can they pull out of mandatory government without bringing down the government?
How can they get rid of the parade commission without bringing down the government?
And will bringing down strand 1 stop the workings of strand 2,and the eventual rise of plan B?
.
“My point is that Sinn Féin have a defined mechanism to do so,whilst the DUP endorsed ST.Andrews without any internal mechanism to recross their rubicon except mutual veto.”
A “defined mechanism”?
Right.
Go for it.
“whilst the DUP endorsed ST.Andrews without any internal mechanism to recross their rubicon except mutual veto”
And the particular rubicon which requires re-crossing is?
The Shinners can’t cross back over Rubicon (and not simply because a lot of senior touts would be mysteriously outted if they even tried). They can’t do ideologically because once they conceded that they could be ruled by the Crown forces, they’ve conceded the principle for all time; and they can’t do it politically because their internal solution requires a police force. Lastly, of course, they can’t do it because all those Catholics they encouraged to join the police would be left stranded on the other side. There’s no going back, kids.
Someone earlier was talking rubbish about tying the parades issue to P+J. Ain’t going to happen.
Someone earlier was talking rubbish about tying the parades issue to P+J. Ain’t going to happen.
But it has. Listen to Robinson in the programme. Sinn Fein tied parades to it, and now it must be sorted before the devoloution of p+j, that is still unfinished work. If SF tied it to policing and justice it stands to reason they did that to make it a bargaining chip. The parades issues could have been solved at St Andrews, it’s still waiting.
Unless you know better than Peter Robinson?
The interim report from the Ashdown crew specifically stated that the contents and recommendations of the report coudl only be implemented as part of devolution of P&J.
SF nominated people to sit on the group.
Robinson is correct to say that SF made the link.
Indeed, Dave.
Guest appears to be labouring under the misapprehension that they only half-crossed it.
I will try and make this nice and simple.
There is no way SF are going to conceed Orange marches down Garvaghy Road etc in return for devolution of P+J.
Ultimately Robinson will agree to the devolution of P+J, probably within the next 6 months.
“I will try and make this nice and simple.
There is no way SF are going to conceed Orange marches down Garvaghy Road etc in return for devolution of P+J.”
Please USA – no simplifying is required surely -we’re all big boys – tell us what you know – or is your confident statement just your own “gut feelings” on the matter much like your timeframe?
Peter Robinson may have sounded plausible, emphasising that Sinn Fein had signed up to the outcome of the Ashdown review.
The Ashdown review is not mentioned in the St. Andrews Agreement.
Robinson keeps talks about “public confidence” It is worth looking at another earlier Slugger posting by Mick.
http://www.sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/for-or-against-the-parades-commission-in-leiu-of-joint-leadership-it-is-lik/
The post says this:-
“Statistics would suggest it isn’t such a do or die issue as all that. The Omnibus Survey, conducted by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) shows growing acceptance of the Commission. Just over half the population (56 per cent) now believe that the Commission has improved the situation overall compared to 20 per cent in 2001. For Protestants alone, approval for the Commission has gone up from eight per cent in 2001 to 39 per cent this year.”
Robinson is certainly not acting within the spirit of St. Andrews. His stated excuses are complete humbug.