Elect a deputy mayor, Unionists urged

Belfast’s first Sinn Fein Lord Mayor tonight issued a fresh plea to unionists to nominate a deputy mayor to serve alongside him.

West Belfast MLA Alex Maskey, who made history in June when he was elected to the city’s top post, hoped unionists would end their boycott of the deputy mayorship at the monthly meeting of city councillors tomorrow night.

“It is absurd that unionists have not to this point taken the position of Deputy Mayor,” he said.

“Despite the high profile opposition of unionist councillors to nominate a Deputy Mayor from within their own ranks, life on the council continues as before.

“Unionist councillors work alongside those of Sinn Fein at committee level and indeed unionists have no difficulty in serving as deputy chairpersons on committees chaired by Sinn Fein members.”

Mr Maskey has, since assuming office, sought to accommodate unionists in the city by taking part in commemoration services for those killed during the First World War’s Battle of the Somme.

However, his decision to have an Irish tricolour on display in his office alongside the Union flag angered some unionists.

The Sinn Fein Lord Mayor argued: “As Lord Mayor, I have demonstrated a commitment to represent all of the people of the city in a fair and equal manner.

“However with the issues dividing the people of this city never more apparent, there is an onus on political leaderships of whatever persuasion to work towards healing divisions.

“Against the background of an ongoing sectarian campaign it is my belief that Belfast City Council efforts to promote a stable political environment through the workings of the Good Relations Steering Group have not been assisted by unionist failure to accept civic responsibility.”

Mr Maskey said with a loyalist paramilitary feud looming on the horizon and the Ulster Unionist Party’s threat to pull out of the Stormont power executive next January, people in Belfast were facing “an uncertain future”.

“At this crucial time the city of Belfast is in very real need of shared civic leadership.

“It is my hope that the needs of the city and all of its residents are taken on board by unionist councillors and that these will no longer play second fiddle to the whims of a handful of anti-(Good Friday) Agreement councillors at City Hall.”