“We don’t believe that any deal between the DUP here and the English Tories will be good for the people here.”

So stated the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, as he paraded his “Magnificent Seven” MPs [and Carál Ní Chuilín – Ed] in front of the media at a press conference at Stormont yesterday.  But whilst most reports focused on that line, or a variation on it, only the Irish Times’ Gerry Moriarty appears to have still been listening when he went on to say…

[Gerry Adams] said Sinn Féin would not reject any positive deal that might emerge from these DUP-Tory talks. “We never turn up our nose at good deals. Let’s wait until we see what sort of deal is done,” he said.

So he believes that there could be a deal between the DUP here and the English Tories that would be good for the people here?  [Yeah but, no but, yeah but… – Ed]

Here’s the relevant section from the Irish Times report

Before entering the talks Mr Adams held a press conference with the party’s seven MPs by his side. He again expressed his opposition to the prospective DUP-Conservatives agreement.

“It is a coalition for chaos in the time ahead,” he said.

“We don’t believe that any deal between the DUP here and the English Tories will be good for the people here. Any deal that undercuts in any way the process here of the Good Friday and other agreements is one that has to be opposed by progressives,” he added.

Mr Adams said there was a “huge onus” on Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the incoming taoiseach to “ensure that all aspects of these agreements are implemented”.

Earlier, Mr Varadkar said the British government should not become too close to any party in Northern Ireland. “Our role as governments here in Dublin and in London is to act as co-guarantors and not to be close to any particular party,” he said.

Mr Adams said Brexit was the train coming down the tracks. “We all need to be match fit to face up to the responsibilities there. What we need is a united Executive that has a long term strategic view which is to the mutual advantage of everyone who lives on this island,” he added.

He said Sinn Féin would not reject any positive deal that might emerge from these DUP-Tory talks. “We never turn up our nose at good deals. Let’s wait until we see what sort of deal is done,” he said.

On parties’ roles in national parliaments, the DUP leader, Arlene Foster, is quoted in the Guardian

Speaking on the first day of renewed devolution talks in Belfast, [DUP leader, Arlene] Foster said: “Parliamentarians would like to play as full a role as they possibly can in our national parliament, just as some in Sinn Féin would like to play a role in the Irish parliament. I think this is a tremendous opportunity not just for this party but for Northern Ireland in terms of the nation, and we’re looking forward to playing our part in that.”

And back to the Irish Times for a more pointed quote,

[Arlene Foster] warned that a consequence of failing to re-establish a power-sharing executive would be the return of direct rule, with decisions on devolved issues being taken by the government in Westminster.

“If others decide that they are not coming back into the devolved administration here in Northern Ireland then those issues will have to be dealt with at Westminster,” she said. It is really for Sinn Féin to decide where they want those powers to lie.”

As for Gerry’s ‘Magnificent Seven’, they do realise not all seven made it to the end of the movie…

Pete Baker