Blair attempts to break impasse

MOVES towards restoring power-sharing in the North lurched forward last night as Sinn Féin welcomed a pledge from British Prime Minister Tony Blair to separate MI5 from policing.

Mr Blair promised the security service would operate separately from the PSNI in a clear bid to break the impasse over devolution.

In a statement to the House of Commons, he said MI5 would have no control of police officers and any interaction between the two organisations on security would be through liaison.

Dublin and London hope the plan, which Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams described as an “improvement”, will allow the party’s Ard Comhairle to sanction this Saturday an Árd Fheis on civil policing for the end of the month.

The planned Árd Fheis was thrown into doubt last week when Sinn Féin claimed its movement on the policing issue had not received a positive response from the DUP.

Mr Blair threatened to cancel March Belfast Assembly elections if Sinn Fein failed to accept civil policing and the DUP failed to embracing power-sharing by the end of the month.

Sinn Féin’s policing spokesperson Gerry Kelly said Mr Blair’s MI5 proposals went a long way towards achieving “a new beginning on policing”.

“The proposals remove MI5 from policing structures in Ireland,” he said.

Mr Blair said the North’s Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan would retain her statutory powers to hold to account all police officers and have access to all information held by the police.

However, SDLP leader Mark Durkan said Mr Blair’s move would limit the ability of Ms O’Loan to investigate national security issues, and accused Sinn Féin of accepting a “fig leaf” from the British Government.

“Let’s be clear, this supposed ‘separation formula’ will damage accountability.

“The fact is that the Police Ombudsman can investigate national security matters now. When MI5 takes over, she will not be able to — and will have no power to make them give her information,” he said.

“So when anybody has cause for concern or complaint about national security intelligence gathering, unlike now, there will be nobody credible to turn to.”

MI5 is building a €30m headquarters outside Belfast and is recruiting extra staff.

Mr Blair pledged MI5 would be separate when the planned devolvement of policing powers to the Belfast Assembly went ahead next year.

“Policing is the responsibility solely of the PSNI.

“Leadership and direction of all police work is the responsibility of the Chief Constable who will remain accountable to the Policing Board,” he said.