Hain to take ‘hands-on’ approach
After his first walkabout around Belfast City Centre since taking over the job from Paul Murphy, Mr Hain, who is also the Secretary of State for Wales, insisted the post had not been downgraded.
He said: “The prime minister made it clear that he will keep a very hands-on approach to the whole process for securing peace and building the institutions. It is very, very important to him and it is important to the whole of the government.
“It’s an absolute priority, he told me when he appointed me on Friday night. (Tony Blair’s chief of staff) Jonathan Powell’s involvement is also crucial to that, but I intend to take myself a very direct, leading role in this alongside the prime minister and we will work together in partnership.”
Mr Hain met several shoppers in the city centre who wished him good luck in his new role.
He said it was clear from their reaction that people wanted Northern society to continue to move on.
“We have had seven years of peace and stability and increasing prosperity in Northern Ireland as a result of the events which followed the Good Friday Agreement,” the news secretary of state said.
He insisted all criminal and paramilitary activity needed to end in the North if it was to continue to make political progress.
Before visiting Belfast, Mr Hain met the Rev Ian Paisley at Stormont following the DUP’s successes in the Westminster and local government elections.
The DUP delegation also consisted of deputy leader Peter Robinson and senior negotiator Nigel Dodds.
The party confirmed: “At the meeting the current political situation was discussed along with a number of other issues.”
