US pressure on SF over poilicing - Orde

Pressure from American politicians on Sinn Féin to endorse policing could have a “substantial” influence, Northern Ireland Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde said tonight.

Sir Hugh said he had briefed a large number of US politicians in recent days and it was them, not him, who had raised the issue of the party’s refusal to take its seats on the policing board.

“It’s something they think is important and I know they’ve raised it with Sinn Fein,” he said.

“I think they would listen to many of the people I speak to – who are people who also speak to Sinn Féin.”

The Chief Constable told a reception on the work of the board held in Washington: “Support from this place is essential.

“People we can convince over here that we are delivering can have a substantial influence on those who still don’t wish to play in our world.”

On Monday, Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain announced the new-look 19-member policing board, which will sit for the first time on April 1.

It will have four Democratic Unionists, two Ulster Unionists and two Assembly members from the nationalist SDLP, but Sinn Féin has turned down the two seats it was offered.

The party also refused to take its seats on the previous board because it believes policing reforms in Northern Ireland do not go far enough.

Yesterday senior Irish American politicians led by Senator Edward Kennedy called on Sinn Féin to endorse policing.

Sir Hugh said the big victims of their refusal to do so were the communities that did not have a voice on the policing board as a result.

“They have a right to have a voice and I have a right to be held to account by a fully democratically elected board,” he said.

“Until they (Sinn Féin) walk that walk like as the other parties have done it’s not going to be as effective as it could be.

“When they join we will just rocket in some areas.

“You just get the feeling that a lot more people want to engage and just feel constrained by this.”