Reid salutes 'historic step' in peace process

The creation of a Police Board of Unionists and Nationalists in Northern Ireland is a momentous step forward for the peace process, Northern Ireland Secretary Dr John Reid said today.

Dr Reid said after Unionist parties confirmed they would be taking their places on the 19-member board handling police reforms that it would lay the foundation for a new police service in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Secretary, who will take a crucial decision on the future of Northern Ireland’s Assembly today, said: ‘‘I am delighted that the first time in our history since the creation of Northern Ireland we have a police service supported by political parties from both communities.

‘‘We hear plenty about difficulties in the peace process but yesterday saw a breakthrough which can be genuinely described as historic.

‘‘The importance of the Police Board cannot be underestimated as it is the bedrock of a new policing service in Northern Ireland.’’

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble last night nominated three Assembly members to the Board - Lord Kilclooney, Fred Cobain and James Leslie - following a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with Dr Reid as the midnight deadline approached for nominations to the Board.

However Mr Trimble, in his letter confirming the nominations, warned the Ulster Unionist members would ‘‘in no way be bound by your (police reform) implementation plan or the Patten Report.

‘‘We consider both the Report and the plan to be a clear threat to good policing as well as gratuitously offensive to all decent law abiding people who through the last 30 years steadfastly supported the fight against all forms of terrorism.’’

The more hardline Democratic Unionist Party, headed by the Rev Ian Paisley, nominated his son Ian Jnr and East Belfast MLA Sammy Wilson to the Board.

However the anti-Good Friday Agreement Unionist leader criticised Ulster Unionists for not holding out longer on their nominations to the Board in an attempt to win back more concessions on policing for Unionists.

The nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party put forward three Assembly members in a ground-breaking move for their community which has never before had a political party endorse a police service in history of the Northern Ireland state.

The SDLP’s nominees were party chairman Alex Attwood, South Down MP Eddie McGrady and West Tyrone MLA Joe Byrne.

Sinn Fein, however, turned down the Government’s offer of two seats on the Board because it argued the police reforms did not go far enough. Its seats will be allocated instead to the Unionist parties.

Dr Reid today said he regretted that Sinn Fein ‘‘could not join us at this time’’.

He appealed to the party to follow the advice of the Irish and American Governments, the Catholic Church and other parties for them to participate on the Board.

‘‘I hope Sinn Fein will eventually take on the responsibility of shaping a new service.

‘‘I hope they will take up that challenge for the good of their community.

‘‘No political party on any police authority in the UK, in England, Ireland or anywhere else is in total agreement with everything done in that service.

‘‘However that does not stop everyone from joining the cause of creating decent community policing.

‘‘I regret Sinn Fein has not joined unlike others and I hope that it will in time.’’