Unionists cast doubt on devolution timing

The deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party today said he would be surprised if the timetable for appointing shadow first ministers is met.

On November 24, DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness are due to become the shadow first and deputy first ministers.

However, the DUP has insisted a pledge of support for policing must be in place before then.

Casting doubts on the timeframe of the St Andrew’s Agreement, DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson said the party would not change its mind on the issue.

“I would be very surprised because there seems to be every indication that Sinn Féin will not be ready,” Mr Robinson said on whether the ministers would be in place by November 24.

In an interview for BBC Radio Ulster’s Inside Politics programme, he said: “As far as we’re concerned, there will be no jumping first by the Democratic Unionist Party – David Trimble might have done that, the Ulster Unionist Party might have done that, Reg Empey might have been pleased to do it, but the Democratic Unionist Party will not.”

The party this week published a four-page paper on the Irish and British governments’ St Andrews proposals for achieving devolution.

An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair and have given the North's politicians until November 10 to state whether they accept the St Andrews proposals as a basis for resuming power-sharing.

Senior DUP party member, Nigel Dodds, this week insisted the party would not be rushed into accepting a deal which falls short of a fair one for unionists. He insisted there were still issues which needed to be addressed before the DUP could say on November 10 it was accepting or rejecting the deal.

Mr Dodds, the former Stormont social development minister, said overall no one could deny the St Andrew’s package represented a significant advance for unionism compared with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.