Trimble calls on all parties to isolate Sinn Féin

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble today called on Northern Ireland’s political parties to pull out of talks on restoring devolution and isolate Sinn Féin.

Speaking after talks with the Prime Minister at Downing Street, Mr Trimble urged the Democratic Unionist Party, the nationalist SDLP and the Alliance Party to follow his lead and abandon talks on the review of the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Trimble walked out of the review yesterday after the British government refused to throw Sinn Féin out following the attempted abduction of a dissident republican - which the IRA denies any involvement in.

Speaking after hour-long talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy, Mr Trimble said the incident demonstrated the underlying problem of continuing paramilitary activity.

He said the review could have no credibility until republicans demonstrated they had abandoned violence.

“There is no point continuing with the review when it is clear that the underlying problem is not resolved and indeed that the republicans have not come to the point of making the crucial decision and change towards peace and democracy,” he said.

He renewed his call on the Prime Minister to throw Sinn Féin out of the talks.

“In this situation there is a duty on him (the Prime Minister) to act. Failure to act will render the present process nugatory.”

But with the Prime Minister yesterday refusing to give in to Mr Trimble’s demand, he said the other parties should pull out of the talks.

The DUP leadership will meet Mr Blair on Monday to discuss the way forward.

Ahead of that meeting Mr Trimble sent the hardline party this message: “I call now on the DUP to reinforce what we have said over the last few days, to reinforce to the Prime Minister the need for him to vindicate the principles of peace and democracy on which the process was founded.

“I appeal to the DUP not to abandon the need for there to be a clear commitment to peace and democracy and not to remain in a talks process with Sinn Fein that is in breach of the Mitchell principles.

“Think again about whether you want to be part of process including Sinn Féin, when Sinn Féin are in breach of these very principles of peace and democracy which they say they oppose. I extend that call to SDLP and the Alliance Party.”

While the UUP withdrawal will be a blow to the British government, it should not collapse the review process.

Mr Trimble’s party is not the power it was – the November Assembly elections saw it relegated below Ian Paisley’s hard-liners as the major voice of unionism.

And in a twist on times past it is the DUP that is staying put in the discussions.