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UUP sparks new row over policing and justice

Saturday, 13 February 2010

Another pre-condition has emerged in the long-running saga over the transfer of policing and justice powers.

The UUP, which boycotted the signing of the Hillsborough Agreement, has said it will not back the transfer of powers to Stormont unless consensus can be reached over the 11-plus fiasco.

Leader Sir Reg Empey is demanding a new type of test be implemented in a bid to ease the confusion and stress for thousands of primary school-aged children and their parents.

“If we can’t deal with an issue that is currently devolved such as education then why is there any reason to think we are fit to take on something as controversial as policing and justice,” he told the Guardian newspaper.

“There is only one way to prove that this executive is not dysfunctional and that is to reach consensus on education.”

Meanwhile, leading unionists Nigel Dodds and David McNarry have called for a unionist pact after Sinn Fein topped a poll carried out for the Belfast Telegraph.

The poll, which was carried out in the wake of the policing and justice deal struck at Hillsborough, gave Sinn Fein 21% of the vote, DUP 18% and the UUP in third place at 15%.

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21 Comments

At least the UUP is talking about something that is important to the community as a whole, albeit by using a confrontational approach.
Lets see - education vs policing vs Orange Order marches - I guess I know which is "order" is important to my relatives and their futures.....

Posted by dmc | 16.02.10, 22:24 GMT

Interesting poll results. So if the the DUP were to pally up with the UUP and Sinn Fein did the same with the SDLP......

Posted by Ulysses32 | 16.02.10, 14:06 GMT

I think Sir Reg is correct. The executive is currently being run like the corner sweetie shop and before adding more to the shambles lets get something as important as education working properly, after all P Robinson promised that no minister could go on a solo run. There has not been an executive meeting on education for over two years therefore fix the executive before compounding the problem.

Posted by harryatport | 16.02.10, 09:57 GMT

Yet another " Walter Mitty" propaganda poll created by anti Unionist mindsets within the "Telly". Lived in NI 50 years and have never been polled for anything!

Posted by Stewart | 15.02.10, 13:05 GMT

How on earth did this dinosaur become leader of the UUP?

Posted by BenjiBear | 15.02.10, 12:01 GMT

@ Len. As an educationalist in Northern Ireland I am sick sore and tired of listening to people such as yourself babble on about Northern Ireland's 'first class' education system. It's not. If it is so good why do Protestant working-class males have THE highest level of educational disadvantage in all of the UK ? The 11+ system benefitted the few (middle class children mainly) at the expense of the many and needed to change. OK Ruane has messed up that is another issue. Also, if there is a link between education and the relative 'health' of the economy, well where does that leave your first-class system? Especially given that NI has been in the economic doldrums for decades.

Posted by Graham | 15.02.10, 08:36 GMT

Yet more unionists desperately trying to scurry away from any lasting political settlement.

First we had the DUP banging the Orange drum by insisting on the demise of the Parades Commission. Now the UUP won't play ball unless they get their way on education.

And don't get me started on the no-men of the TUV

Is unionism really fit for modern politics?

Posted by ger | 14.02.10, 16:38 GMT

I agree that Sien Fein have totally messed up Northern Irelands first class education system for primary school children.
However to now try to tie policing and justice in with this is stupid and childish to say the least.

Posted by Len | 14.02.10, 15:49 GMT

another mysterious poll. How exactly do you poll? I asked twenty of my friends to ask twenty of their friends and their friends to ask their friends about how many of them have been polled. Guess what? Not one of them has ever been polled in their life. I think most of these so-called polls are made up when it suits.

Posted by billyboy | 14.02.10, 15:09 GMT

this agreement was agreed to keep this shambles at stormont from collapse and now the uup want another side deal to support it they cant agree on anything because we have a divided community with divided parties so how are they ever going to deal with police and justice with a party whose aim is to dismantle anything british and bring about a united ireland thats sinn fein objective we need change from these trible politics for it to work

Posted by norman.d | 14.02.10, 13:40 GMT

a pact or coming together from all unionist parties is a good idea and wanted by most unionist voters.

Posted by common sense | 14.02.10, 09:26 GMT

yet more vetos by the unionist leadership... what has education got to do with policing.. yes its important but deal with it at another time... uup are just wiping their noses after being left out face it the top 2 parties at the minute are happy with the deal... when you get in power im sure you'll change it just like every unionist party has bent the law since time started.
If they do join a pack togehter do us onrdinary folk ever expect any form of normal leadership as they will take it in turns to knock back plans for change ---- grow up Empty sorry Empie and get on with power sharing...

Posted by youthworker | 14.02.10, 07:43 GMT

All that poll shows is that more catholics VOTED than Protestants. Polls are a USELESS waste of time.

Posted by Stuart | 14.02.10, 00:01 GMT

Huffy Reg ! Why is this miserable old man still in active politics ?

Posted by Ted | 13.02.10, 22:08 GMT

21,18 and 15 thats going to rumple their sashs

Posted by ron54 | 13.02.10, 21:21 GMT

Who got the other 46%? :-)

Posted by Grizwald | 13.02.10, 21:17 GMT

What on earth has this to do with devolving Policing & Justice? I thought that the DUP were spitting their dummies out too often but the UUP are showing themselves to be even more of a joke. Sir Reg is allowing himself to be sidetracked into a childish cul-de-sac. We all know that an election is looming but I believe that this has more to do with a meeting in December when the UUP and DUP were called in by their loyal masters and given a severe talking to. The only Unionists that are trustworthy would appear to be the PUP. I would not buy a used car from the UUP or the DUP as I believe that they are totally untrustworthy. Try to keep some honesty in politics, bring down the assembly and vote out all the creative accountancy recipients with their Jackanory expense claims.

Posted by HC | 13.02.10, 20:45 GMT

Just a point about transfering policeing and justice powers , why do these igits need more powers when you look at the job they have done to the powers they have atm.

They have not got a good track record so far have they , i think they had better get what they have sorted out first and maybe then they can look for more.

Posted by Chris | 13.02.10, 20:32 GMT

Cameron has made it quite clear he can not tolerate any deal with DUP.UUP have agreement on joint selection with Conservatives it's one or the other .McNarry can not have both.The policy was approved by UUP Executive UNANIMOUSLY .McNarry's quick fix will take Unionism back to 1970s with his 'United we stand ' Unionism based on sectarian headcounts.Cameron is supporting a new brand of non sectarian Unionism made possible since UUP broke the link with Orange Order and adopted pluralist inclusive objectives and values in recent rule changes.This poll is hardly surprising all unionists want unity but on whose terms? McNarry has fallen into Robinson's trap to divide the UUP ahead of elections.UUP must hold their nerve and give the electorate real politics

Posted by pittite | 13.02.10, 18:13 GMT

When McNarry and Dodds can only see people as orange or green, it shows how liitle they think of us; merely fodder to prop up their own nasty little egos and greedy power hungry mits. If they are so blindly bigoted to view people in such narrow terms, then those they so contemptuously disregard show show them the exit door. Vote for anybody else but these!

Posted by Malachy Mulligan | 13.02.10, 17:27 GMT