Sinn Fein must be excluded, says Trimble

The British government should send a motion to the Northern Ireland Assembly proposing to exclude Sinn Fein, Ulster Unionist leader and First Minister David Trimble said today.

Speaking after talks with Tony Blair in Downing Street, Mr Trimble said unless that was done he would have no alternative but to remove his ministers from Northern Ireland’s administration.

“Our proposal to him, expressed very strongly indeed, is that that is the course he should follow,” Mr Trimble said after nearly an hour of talks.

Mr Trimble said the Government had warned in July that certain activities were unacceptable and were giving a "yellow card'' to the Republican movement that "if these matters came to light, it would be prepared to send to the Northern Ireland Assembly a motion calling for the exclusion of Sinn Fein from the administration''.

He went on: “It is our view that that is what the Government should now do.

“We have asked the Government to send to the Northern Ireland Assembly such a motion.”

Mr Trimble said the Assembly would be meeting in plenary session on Monday: "The appropriate time in our view for such a motion would be on that day. The sequence would be that Sinn Fein would be excluded from the administration.''

That would mean it would be “not as inclusive as we would like it to be”.

Mr Trimble added: “The Prime Minister accepts we are at a defining moment, that the time when the republicans could ride the two horses is at an end and he has himself been pointing this out.”

Mr Trimble said Mr Blair must put forward a motion adding: “In the event of that not happening by Monday and Tuesday that will leave us with no alternative but to remove ourselves from the administration.”

Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid said a series of meetings with other party leaders would now follow, adding: “At the moment, it is not easy to see a way through.”