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‘Division in DUP ranks’ due to be discussed
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
A crunch meeting of the DUP's executive is on the cards in an apparent bid to prevent divisions on a devolution deal developing into a split, it emerged last night.
Majority backing from the party's executive will also be crucial if it is to sell a deal on the handover of police, prisons and legal system powers to Stormont with Sinn Fein input.
The already-delayed quarterly executive meeting could come tomorrow or Friday depending on the outcome of a potentially make-or-break session of the party's MLAs this morning. Negotiations with Sinn Fein and the other parties are expected to go on now for most of this week.
There are reports around 14 of the DUPs 36 MLAs have difficulties with the package of proposals on the devolution of policing and justice.
Their concerns are believed to centre on how a Department of Justice might work, and the drafting of protocols for a future Justice Minister, as well as the timetable for the introduction of changes over how contentious parades could be dealt with.
“The range from fairly minor misgivings to some who have deeper problems. On parades the concern is more broadly based than just individual parades,” one source said.
A party spokesman said: “We are not ruling out a meeting of the executive over the next period. One is already due, but no decisions have been taken.
“We have issues we still need to be addressed and we are not going into what those are. We need a deal which is going to be durable and there is still a lot of work to be done.”
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Comments
48 Comments
Again the DUP are trying to move the goal post by trying to allow their parades to go through catholic areas
It will never happen so you should just sing of on the police and justice bill.
Posted by Thomas | 04.02.10, 02:08 GMT
The DUP and Sinn Fein need to come clean and tell the people of NI what is stopping them from agreeing. The process cannot be allowed to fail and fall just because of the idiotic demands of a minority organisations demands to march on specific roads/streets. The people of NI are fed up with both the DUP & SF holding the country to ransom. It is also time that Durkan, Ford and Empey and the rest of the parties were all allowed into the negotiations and ensure that the assembly continues. If the DUP & SF cannot agree then the British & Irish governments need to kick both parties out of their positions as First Mininister and Deputy First Minister and put people in are willing to the jobs that they are being paid to do. Robinson has no future in politics, he is discredited and should do the right thing and resign, he has been seen in his true colours. The people demand action and demand it now, listen up Peter & Gerry!!
Posted by A Protestant Nationalist | 03.02.10, 23:52 GMT
The DUP have had enough time with the issue of devolution, if you give them more time to waste, then just hand out the clown suits to everyone.
Corporate America is watching!!!
Investment in Northern Ireland will be made impossible if this circus is allowed to continue a day longer.
Posted by patrick Kelly | 03.02.10, 23:04 GMT
Speaking as a unionist who would prefer policing and justice powers to remain at Westminster, I think the issue has now taken on a broader dimension - with the political stability of the province probably requiring some sort of deal. I am still not clear about whether the problems for the DUP are of principle or of detail ? Different people say different things!
Posted by A.Strickland | 03.02.10, 22:56 GMT
If devolved policing and justice are implemented, would cases of injustices which have been denied to people in N Ireland by Westminster, be reviewed by the new Minister for Justice or would it remain the same?
Posted by Gerry | 03.02.10, 21:17 GMT
what parades issue?
if we are to be equal then catholics should be allowed to march in protestant areas the same amount of times protestants march in catholic areas
or is that being too equal?
Posted by Paul | 03.02.10, 20:00 GMT
The DUP are looking like sectarian bigots more and more! What kind of party are they I ask? They have engaged with the Orange order in discussing the future of the Stormont assembly! They agreed to share power with Republicans and even Ian Paisley stated publicly that if he could trust Sinn Fein to keep their word Robinson and company should follow suit!! The DUP have broken that trust and Ulster people can see that! What next???
Posted by Don King | 03.02.10, 18:35 GMT
For God and Ulster let us learn to live with our neighbours. After all He said "Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you and pray for them that persecute and culumniate you". Let's try to love one another, hate hasn't worked. God died for all, orangemen and republicans, and loves everyone equally. Let's make a new start!
Posted by WAC | 03.02.10, 17:29 GMT
Poor DUP - so wedded to their own intransigence they cannot even pretend to be real politicans.
They are disintegrating as a political force simply because they cannot stomach progress, much less actual power sharing with nationalists.
Dinosaurs lost in the 21st century.
Posted by ger | 03.02.10, 16:58 GMT
stve,
Very interesting, I wasn't aware that the ira made parading an issue? I thought it was the orangemen who have the need to march where they are neither welcome nor wanted. No one in the Nationalist community has a problem with parading, to be quite honest for the most part it's a comical irrelevance. If you feel the need to dress up and march, why don't you do it somewhere your welcome, or indeed build a road round the maze, build a big orange hall and field, and march 365 days a year if you like! And whilst we're on the subject pay to police your parades!
Posted by DMC | 03.02.10, 16:39 GMT
The Brown election threat is presumably based on his view that it would go badly for the DUP. But I would bet that Peter is more in touch with the NI electorate than Brown or Woodward. You would need to get up early in the morning to get the better of Peter.
A rump of DUP MLAs voting with UUP MLAs at this stage on devolution of police and justice would finish the DUP.
Posted by philip | 03.02.10, 16:35 GMT
hey stve the reason there is no advancement in the discussions is because of people like you and those who think like you.
Posted by franky bell | 03.02.10, 16:32 GMT
Much as it's interesting to watch the Protestant conservative parties splinter themselves into obscurity -- what's next, the Free Democratic Unionists? -- it's also sad to watch the petty, self-interested opponents to a policing deal try to send Northern Ireland backward to a time when hate and hypocrisy held the upper hand. Try to at least pretend you have any place in a modern, pluralistic society. Get over yourselves, make the deal and move on. Too many people have fought and bled and died to pull NI out of the muck of sectarian hatred.
Posted by Eoin Kenny | 03.02.10, 16:17 GMT
when it is all said and done the oo still wont march down streets where they are not wanted sinn fein will have a say in policing&justice the unionist/loyalist/uff/uda cannot stop the progress of basic and civil rights end of story
Posted by ray usa | 03.02.10, 15:16 GMT
Perhaps if Unionism had'nt been so blatantly sectarian since they came to power,we would'nt be in this mess.
The parades issue is just that,born of sectarianism.The solution is quite simple.If the people on the streets involved simply say no,then why insist on going there.It's still No surrender.Unfortunately for Unionism,the writing is on the wall.The days of trampling on nationalists has past.
Posted by PD Whistle | 03.02.10, 15:16 GMT
who do not wnat to share power with terrorists
get a grip. Thats just what the DUP are doing they are sharing power with SF. Maybe you have been asleep for the past few years and only woke up recently?
Posted by Joe | 03.02.10, 14:51 GMT
How did the IRA make parades an issue? Tell the men in funny hats to walk down roads where they are wanted and there will be no issue. As for terrorists, didn't sneaky Pete take over a small village in the Republic by force? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
Posted by Rich | 03.02.10, 14:41 GMT
Like lemmings, the DUP is ready to self-destruct; however, this will lead to a major crisis if Martin McGuinness becomes First Minister on 6 May. Worse still, the UUP voted last evening to refuse to co-operate with the DUP to keep the First Minister's job in unionist hands. Has Sir Reg also gone crazy? In a local poll I've just seen, 91% of the respondents, mostly unionists, agree with me. Sinn Fein and TUV must be laughing all the way to their own self-destruction in due course. At present we have our own problems in Greece with a UWC-type farmers' blockade but at least all the main political parties have agreed to co-operate to pull the country out of its current financial mess and crises. Can politicians in NI not for once take the fate of the country into consideration? At worst we could see the return of the bombers to NI at the hands of dissident groups who will gain most from a failure at Hillsborough.
Posted by Dr David Green | 03.02.10, 14:34 GMT
the d.u.p are the laughing stock all over the place.
Posted by jim | 03.02.10, 14:33 GMT
What ever the DUP do will be in the best interest of every one in Northern Ireland. It may take some time for people to understand that. Some may never understand but it is better to take your time and get the right deal than rush into the wrong deal.
Terry
Posted by Terry | 03.02.10, 14:19 GMT
48 Comments