Hain: Unionists have no excuses

SINN FÉIN’S move to support the police in the North leaves unionists with no excuse to balk at power sharing, Britain’s Northern Secretary Peter Hain insisted today.

As he prepared to meet Taoiseach Bertie Ahern ahead of yesterday’s Six Nations Rugby Clash between Wales and Ireland in Cardiff, Mr Hain said the Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists were under no illusions about the March 26 deadline for devolution at Stormont.

“We are determined to ensure that everybody understands with crystal clarity that March 26 is the day for devolution, or dissolution will follow,” he said.

“There have been a few off-stage noises recently where some politicians appear to be oblivious to that fact or are in denial.

“What has happened in the last week with Sinn Féin’s decision to get involved in policing at its special ard fheis last week, and the remarkable series of statements by Gerry Adams afterwards, urging people in republican communities to co-operate with the police and encouraging them to join means Sinn Féin are well on their way to delivering what their leadership promised to do.

“That was to comply with policing and the rule of law. That leaves no excuses for unionists to balk at power sharing during the election or after that.”

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Mr Ahern agreed last Monday that the Northern Ireland Assembly elections should go ahead on March 7 as planned.

However, they warned the plug would be pulled on the election if it became apparent there would be no power-sharing government on March 26.

Democratic Unionist Gregory Campbell, whose party has insisted Sinn Féin must prove its commitment to policing by actions on the ground, cast doubt on whether the March 26 deadline was achievable.

Insisting Sinn Féin would have to be tested over policing policy, the MP said: “It would be an insult to people’s intelligence to think we could be in government with Sinn Féin by March 26.”

DUP leaders have been anxious to acknowledge the ideological shift in Sinn Féin on policing but have stressed they will judge republicans’ new-found support for the Police Service of Northern Ireland on how communities respond.

Mr Hain would not respond specifically to Mr Campbell’s comments.

“The leadership of the DUP is in no doubt that March 26 is D-Day. It’s devolution or dissolution — that is the choice.

“I believe Mr Paisley and his leadership want to establish devout government.

“But if any of the off-stage noises become a wider reality, there is no point in having an election.

“There will also be no point in people getting to the other side of an election saying ‘we want a few more months’. We have been through this weary process of people saying ‘let’s get to October’ and then we need more time. The time for closure is now.”