Trimble and Paisley under fire for SF request

David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists and the Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists have come under fire from opponents for seeking the expulsion of Sinn Fein from Stormont’s power-sharing government with a debate in the Assembly next week.

Responding to criticism from the moderate nationalist SDLP, cross community Alliance Party and Sinn Fein today, Ulster Unionist president the Rev Martin Smyth challenged his rivals to state what their alternative was for achieving decommissioning.