McGuinness defends Sinn Féin after abduction claims

SINN FÉIN cannot be held responsible for every dispute which breaks out on the streets, the party’s chief negotiator Martin McGuinness insisted last night.

As unionists continued to demand Government action against republicans over the attempted abduction of a man in Belfast last week, Mr McGuinness said it was not in his party’s interests for there to be any incident “which would undermine the Good Friday Agreement or Sinn Féin’s political project”.

With Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble threatening to quit talks on the future of the agreement involving all Northern Ireland Assembly parties, Mr McGuinness asked his party’s critics: “How can we legislate for every single incident which happens on the streets in the nationalist and republican community?