Mark Durkan has just described the Adams’ initiative as a stunt! Hmmm, our guess is that if the McCartney/Northern Bank issue had posed a greater threat to Sinn Fein, something concrete might well have showed up from the IRA before tomorrow.He’s refering to a letter sent out to first time and ‘yellow’ voters – ie those with the potential to convert from SDLP to Sinn Fein:
SDLP Leader Mark Durkan said: “If Sinn Fein are for real about the Gerry Adams initiative not being an election stunt, why are they putting it on all their election material and letters to first-time voters? Why have they made it their basic election pitch?
“In just a few months of positive pressure from democratic Ireland and the SDLP, the IRA has moved. The way to get them to go all the way is to keep the positive pressure on them The best way of doing that is to vote SDLP.
“In return, the SDLP will stand by inclusion as we have always done. We will insist that the DUP works all the Agreement and we will not renegotiate any of it. As true republicans we will stand by what the people of Ireland voted for in 1998.”
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty