Hain accused over treatment of MLAs

Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain came under fire today from a number of the Assembly parties at Stormont about how he dealt with them.

During a four-hour debate on a motion from the minister on spending priorities for a future Stormont government, unionists, nationalists and cross-community politicians lambasted Mr Hain for his treatment of MLAs.

Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley, opening the first debate in the Assembly for a month, said it was outrageous how Mr Hain had treated the Assembly since its recall in May.

The North Antrim MP said that, in particular, it was not right that Mr Hain could reject suggestions from MLAs for debates.

“When I listen to the Secretary of State and when I look at the (order) papers that we eventually get through from him on the business of the House, I think they are absolutely ridiculous,” Mr Paisley said.

“They can change within hours – not within days, but within hours.

“I think the time has come when the Assembly needs to put out a signal to the Secretary of State and say, if this is the way you want to continue business, you can do it on your own.

“There is no use in pretending that this Assembly has at least some democracy when it has very little and, indeed, would have none at all if the Secretary of State had his way.”

With Sinn Féin boycotting today’s debate, as it has done throughout the lifetime of the recalled Assembly, Mr Paisley also said it was ridiculous that Gerry Adams’s party could dictate what was debated by simply refusing to agree motions sent to Mr Hain.

Nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan claimed Mr Hain was weaving between two vetoes in the political process exercised by the DUP and Sinn Féin.

The Foyle MP said: “We all need to recognise the phoniness of this exercise (the Assembly debate).”

Cross-community Alliance Party leader David Ford claimed today’s debate was a complete farce.

The South Antrim MLA accused Mr Hain of acting in a macho manner towards the Assembly and devaluing the Assembly by the way he handled it.

DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson also insisted Mr Hain should stop pulling the Assembly’s strings.

“The Assembly should be master of its own house,” the East Belfast MP said.

“It is clear there is a puppet-master who wants to pull the strings.”

As the debate took place, members of Mr Paisley’s party held talks with the leaders of Ireland's two main opposition parties.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Irish Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte were holding their first joint visit to Belfast in what was being seen as a significant move north of the border.

Mr Kenny and Mr Rabbitte’s parties are proposing to form an alternative coalition government at the next General Election to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s administration.

They were also meeting Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde, the SDLP, the Ulster Unionists, Sinn Féin and the Alliance Party.