Paisley linked to son's lobbying

Local & National

Ian Paisley and his son, Ian, are under the spotlight over lobbying claims

Thursday, April 17, 2008

By David Gordon

Outgoing First Minister Ian Paisley was today urged to explain how a newly-released government document links him to controversial lobbying by his son at the St Andrews talks.

Rebel unionist MEP Jim Allister made the call after he obtained a civil service memo on demands made to Prime Minister Tony Blair during the negotiations in 2006.

The Government email - issued days after the talks - described six constituency requests as coming from both Paisleys.

The DUP has claimed the north Antrim lobbying occurred "on the margins" of St Andrews, with party sources suggesting Ian Paisley Jnr had been on a " solo run" on these issues.

The newly-released email, issued under freedom of information, was sent by a senior civil servant at the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in October 2006.

It stated: "At last week's talks, Rev Ian Paisley and Ian Paisley Jnr took the opportunity to raise with the Prime Minister a number of issues on which they were seeking a positive outcome. Ministers here have been asked to pursue these and we have in turn been asked to make a report to David Hanson (direct rule Minister) and SofS (Secretary of State) by the end of the week."

The email went to permanent secretaries and other officials at a number of Government departments.

The DUP has again insisted that the six constituency issues had not formed any part of its St Andrews negotiations.

There was embarrassment within the party earlier this year when details of the north Antrim "shopping list" first emerged.

Two of the six demands were connected to property tycoon and DUP member Seymour Sweeney - development at the Giant's Causeway and a proposed Government land sale at Ballee, Ballymena.

Claiming the former DUP leader had now been implicated in the row, Mr Allister said: "It will be recalled that when I exposed the fact that Ian Paisley Jnr had wasted valuable negotiating leverage at St Andrews on lobbying for mere constituency and semi-commercial issues, I called specifically on Ian Paisley Snr to clarify any involvement or role which he had.

"That call was met by a deafening silence from Ian Paisley Snr and the message from the

DUP that Junior was 'on a solo run' and had no authority to raise any such issues."

The MEP, who left the DUP last year over its Sinn Fein power sharing deal, said his ex-leader should explain the email's contents if he "was not directly involved and present when it was decided to waste negotiating leverage with the Prime Minister on such irrelevant issues".

Mr Allister added: "This documentation strongly suggests that, contrary to DUP assertions, this abuse of St Andrews and taking the eye of the ball went to the very top of the party. Little wonder, the constitutional and political outcome for unionism was so disappointing."

A DUP spokesman said the party had "made it clear that none of the issues contained in correspondence from David Hanson to Ian Paisley Jnr were raised by the party in negotiations at any stage in the run-up to, during or after the St Andrews talks in Scotland".

"They were not raised by or with the party, nor were they included on any shopping list considered and approved by the party officers.

"Jim Allister has confirmed that these issues were not raised at any of the meetings in St Andrews at which he was present. The party can confirm that they were not raised at any of the negotiating meetings at which he was not present."

The spokesman added: "This is clearly another bitter attack by Jim Allister on the DUP and Dr Paisley in particular.

"At no time did the party 'take its eye of the ball' in the negotiations. While Jim chooses to attack his unionist colleagues, the DUP will continue to work and deliver for Northern Ireland."

The other issues on the "shopping list" were funding for the North West 200 motorbiking event, the future of the St Patrick's Barracks site in Ballymena, road improvements and planning permission for a hotel, spa and housing development scheme.