Robinson: ‘Unionists will benefit from Bush’s hands-off approach’

Unionists are set to benefit from a scaling down of political intervention in Northern Ireland by the new administration of President George W. Bush, it was claimed today.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) deputy leader Peter Robinson made the prediction as he returned from a St Patrick’s Day meeting in Washington with the US president.

Mr Robinson and the Rev Ian Paisley, leader of the fiercely anti-Good Friday Agreement party, has caused a stir by joining other Northern Ireland political parties for the annual trip to the US.

But the DUP delegation have hailed their visit as a success because it allowed them to put their point of view to President Bush.

‘‘The important thing for unionists is that this president won’t be as interventionist as the previous one,’’ Mr Robinson told BBC Radio Ulster.

He claimed that the deep personal interest shown by President Bush’s predecessor, Bill Clinton, had not been to the advantage of unionists.

Mr Robinson also insisted that neither he nor Mr Paisley had attended any St Patrick’s Day celebrations.