Devolution here to stay, says Hain

Devolution will be here to stay when it returns to the North, Peter Hain predicted today.

As he prepared to sign the restoration order allowing the Rev Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness to head up a new devolved administration at Stormont on Tuesday, the Northern Ireland Secretary was confident once they assumed power there would be no return to direct rule from Westminster.

“I really believe that after devolution day it would be as unthinkable for direct rule to be re-imposed on Northern Ireland as it would be for Scotland and Wales,” he said.

“I believe the transformation is now so firm and the preparations for government by the DUP and Sinn Féin are so deep and practical that Northern Ireland is set for permanent devolved government.

“I’m not saying there will not be the odd bump and hiccup after Tuesday. That is to be expected. It is the meat and drink of any government in any part of the world.

“However I’m convinced that the foundations have been laid and the concrete is set. I’m confident about the prospect of permanent devolution.” Mr Hain is due to sign the restoration order tomorrow for a new era of power sharing between unionists and nationalists at Stormont.

During his tenure, Mr Hain has witnessed the IRA announce an end of its armed campaign, complete its disarmament programme, Sinn Féin signing up to supporting the PSNI, a deal between Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams on power-sharing and the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force in recent days announce it was also abandoning paramilitarism and criminality.

“This is everything that the Labour government and the Prime Minister (Tony Blair) have been working to achieve in Northern Ireland for 10 years,” he said. “It is everything I have worked for in the two years I have been involved in the process."