You’re overreacting, Trimble tells nationalists

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble today accused nationalists of overreacting as the furore over his scathing criticisms of the Irish Republic rumbled on.

Mr Trimble sparked a wave of condemnation after he branded Northern Ireland’s neighbour a ‘‘pathetic sectarian state’’.

But in a robust defence of his comments today he said: ‘‘I think people are overreacting and taking something out of context.

‘‘The context is, and it’s something I have said many times before, the contrast between a liberal, multi-national state such as the United Kingdom on one hand, and on the other hand a monocultural state which is not as liberal as the United Kingdom.’’

The Northern Ireland First Minister provoked uproar among other parties in the Stormont power-sharing government when he made his controversial remarks at his party’s annual meeting on Saturday.

Earlier today SDLP founder member and Stormont Agriculture Minister Brid Rodgers had urged him to withdraw his ‘‘deeply offensive’’ remarks and to apologise immediately.

Ireland's Attorney General Michael McDowell accused Mr Trimble of hypocrisy, saying he was the leader of a party which treated Catholics as ‘‘second class citizens’’.

Some commentators suggested that Mr Trimble was simply ‘‘rallying the troops’’ and not expressing his true opinion.

But Ms Rodgers said: ‘‘I regret that he has been so offensive.

‘‘I have asked him this morning, and I will repeat it again, to withdraw those remarks and to apologise because he has insulted and deeply offended the nationalist community north and south of this island.

‘‘I think that not only has he offended nationalists but there will be quite a degree of consternation within many in the Unionist community at his remarks.’’

She added: ‘‘I would suspect that David Trimble is a man of intelligence and I cannot think that he would believe those words.’’

Mr McDowell, president of the Progressive Democrats, accused the Ulster Unionist leader of hypocrisy, saying he should look ‘‘closer to home’’ before making accusations of sectarianism.

He said: ‘‘On behalf of the Progressive Democrats I have to express considerable dismay and sadness that those kind of words would be spoken in public by him.

‘‘You have to remember that the Ulster Unionist Council, which he was addressing at the time, is composed in part of members of the Orange Order.

‘‘Roman Catholics - men and women - are excluded from participating in that.

‘‘I would imagine that Mr Trimble should address the issue of the Orange Order block at his own Unionist Council because that is overtly sectarian in its effect that Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland are second class citizens within his own party.’’

He added: ‘‘I actually believe that it was an excess of rhetoric rather than his deep, heartfelt belief.’’

Mr Trimble was set to leave for Washington later today with Stormont Deputy First Minister and SDLP leader Mark Durkan.

He will meet President George W Bush at the White House on Wednesday at an event which will bring him face to face with the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who also leaves for the United States today.