SDLP ‘inching towards police reform acceptance’

The leading moderate nationalist party in Northern Ireland was tonight inching towards accepting new Government proposals for reform of policing.

Social Democratic and Labour Party chairman Alex Attwood said it would be ‘‘folly’’ to deny the progress that had been made in the blueprint unveiled on Friday by Ulster Secretary John Reid.

Mr Attwood vowed that his party would not shirk its responsibilities.

All sides must decide by Tuesday if they will nominate representatives to the Policing Board set up to oversee the transition to the new service.

Senior party figures were today locked in discussions over whether to join the 19-strong body, which Sinn Fein has already rejected.

Mr Attwood said many of his party’s concerns that legislation had strayed from the Patten proposals on reform of the RUC have now been addressed by the Government.

The West Belfast Assemblyman said: ‘‘If it is sufficient achievement then we may be in a position to make the judgment to go on to the policing board and go into the policing service.’’

The implementation plan released on Friday included plans to cut the Special Branch by 50%, abolish the full-time reserve, increase the part-time reserve, shut down Gough holding centre in Armagh city, and prohibit new recruits from using plastic bullets.

Mr Attwood said the Government has moved considerably to ease SDLP fears.

It was now up to the party to decide if this met the Patten recommendations.

‘‘If that is the case the SDLP will not hide from our responsibilities unlike others. we will not shirk our responsibilities unlike others,’’ he told BBC Radio Ulster.

Urging all parties to nominate representatives to the Policing Board by Tuesday’s noon deadline, Dr Reid had insisted it would be a major step towards securing the peace process.

He said: ‘‘We want to reach out across the community and we hope that the people who have previously not been able to associate with or participate with the police will now take that opportunity.’’

If they did, Dr Reid predicted Northern Ireland would have for the first time a genuinely cross-community policing body.

‘‘That would be a major, major step forward,’’ he said.

Dr Reid refused to speculate on the Government’s plans if the parties refuse to sign up to the arrangements.

But he added: ‘‘If there’s no board then that part of the implementation plan would have to be changed.

‘‘At this stage, however, we are giving everyone the opportunity and indeed the challenge, I hope they rise to that.’’

Sinn Fein chairman Mitchel McLaughlin has again insisted his party will not be supporting the plans.

He said: ‘‘It is not Patten, it is not the fulfilment of one of the commitments, just one of the commitments that the British Government have made in terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

‘‘The fact that the Secretary of State retains overriding powers that will enable the Secretary of State to interfere or indeed to block inquiries by the Policing Board is in direct contradiction of Patten.

‘‘If that’s the case then no one can logically argue that the British Government have delivered.’’