DUP 'split over support for St Andrew's Agreement'
The Democratic Unionist Party is split over support for the St Andrew’s Agreement, the leader of the Ulster Unionists claimed today.
But Sir Reg Empey insisted the divisions would not be good for the future of unionism.
The Rev Ian Paisley’s DUP held a private day-long meeting at a hotel near Belfast yesterday to try to agree a united line for the way forward.
Afterwards party members insisted there was widespread agreement among MPs, MLAs and their single MEP.
But in an interview with BBC Radio, Sir Reg Empey said evidence of division within the rival unionists was obvious.
“It’s clear there are divisions there,” he said.
“We understand it, everyone knows it and it’s not surprising because they have launched on a policy for which they have no mandate and which is against everything they stood for for the last 40 years.”
Sir Reg accepted that there was a case of history repeating itself after the UUP itself suffered deep divisions when former leader David Trimble agreed to share power with Sinn Féin before decommissioning had taken place.
But he said: “Some of my colleagues and people will say it’s happy days for you guys in the Ulster Unionist Party seeing your biggest critics in the same position as you once were.
“But I have to say, if you look at the wider unionist position there are very great dangers out there for unionism generally and I don’t think it is actually going to help if they [DUP] follow down the road and do become so split up that they do become incoherent.”
Sir Reg insisted: “There’s bigger issues here. People want to get this nonsense settled, we want to move on to really being able to deliver real policies for the community from the Assembly.”
After yesterday’s DUP meeting the party said it had been constructive, held in good spirits and displaying widespread agreement.
Outstanding issues would be discussed with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Downing Street next Tuesday, they said.
But Sir Reg accused the DUP of ending up with a greener version of the Good Friday Agreement following the negotiations at St Andrews.
