Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Leaked Hain letter now online…
THE Ulster Unionists have published the controversial letter from Peter Hain to the Transitional Assembly’s sub-group on policing and justice on their website, saying it demolishes the DUP’s ‘triple lock’ spin. UUP leader Sir Reg Empey argues that “the proposal amounted to a Ministerial directive, and held out the very real prospect of a Sinn Fein Minister of Policing and Justice by May 2008, regardless and in spite of DUP claims of a ‘triple lock’ on the issue”.
Belfast Gonzo @ 06:45 PM
It would seem tha Peter Hain is not the only one who has got some explaining to do! Apparantly comments made by David Hanson about the North South agenda suggest it could well be withdrawn.
Speaking in Westminister, he made remarks that would freeze the north south agenda and hold back hard work to build an all-Ireland economy, and that, furthermore, he did so in response to pre-planned questions from Peter Robinson of the DUP. This maybe significiant as he made it clear that everything on North South would have to be approved by the Executive where, after SF/DUP negotiating, it was conceded that the DUP would be able to veto it. He also made it clear that if anything on North South was not approved by the Executive, it could be struck down by the courts.Am I the only one to find this worrying in the extreme? Clearly the correct legal situation needs to be made clear.
Source of the above information? None other than Mark Durkan MP
If this is what was agreed by SF/DUP at St Andrew’s then God help us!
Posted by on Jan 03, 2007 @ 01:52 AMIngram,
You had to type it out, your use of the “N” word is not acceptable.Posted by on Jan 03, 2007 @ 04:14 AMDaidy
Rumour had it that Robisnon did some serious stitching in negotiatiosn so it wouldnt surprise me.
The key issue is whether such a situation, if it exists in such stark terms, is used destructively or not. It wouldn’t do the DUP any good at all. By and large the Unionist population are content with some North/South Co-Operation. The DUP’s strong electoral position has little to do with the mass radicalisation of the Unionist population. It has got to where it is today because Unionists felt they were getting a crap deal, not because they are all natural DUP voters.
Posted by on Jan 03, 2007 @ 09:50 AM
