Paisley accuses Hain of rewriting British policy

NORTHERN Secretary Peter Hain was at the centre of his first political storm in his new role last night after he was accused of rewriting British government policy in the province.

Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley lambasted Mr Hain after he told the DUP and Sinn Féin in his first interview since taking over at Stormont there could only be forward movement in the peace process.

With the DUP insisting the British should press ahead with set up devolved government without Sinn Féin or devise a more accountable system of direct rule, Mr Hain said yesterday: “There was an agreement seven years ago endorsed by referendum, both north and south, in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and no agreement in modern living memory has had that type of endorsement.

“Therefore you cannot just discard part of it. I understand both where the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein are coming from but that’s not the end of the story.

“I think both parties know that that is not the end of the story. Certainly in my preliminary discussions with them, very good discussions, I think everybody realises that there is no reverse gear on this process.

“It’s what forward gear you take.

“Do you stay in neutral or select a forward gear?”

But his comments drew an angry reaction from Mr Paisley, who said the minister was going back on promises of changes to the Good Friday Agreement which were made to the DUP by Tony Blair and secretary of state in last year’s negotiations.

“Now we have a Secretary of State coming into Northern Ireland and within days he is telling us that the agreement was the greatest thing in living memory, giving it his endorsement and insisting no part can be discarded.

“We have to know has the British Government’s policy changed?

“If that is the case, let them spell it out to the people of Northern Ireland. Let Tony Blair speak.

“Mr Hain better realise that he is not in some Welsh valley,” Mr Paisley added.

“He is in Northern Ireland which is part and parcel of the United Kingdom and which will still be part of the United Kingdom.”