Woodward warns of terror threat in North

Northern Secretary Shaun Woodward today called for “leadership” from the North's politicians and demanded that the Executive must meet.

Mr Woodward said there was a majority in each community who wanted to see devolution within the next year and the parties must “continue working through their differences”.

But he warned that the risk of terrorism was still “very real” and the threats faced by police officers were “higher than any time in five years.”

He said dissidents should not be given the opportunity to exploit any political vacuum which could occur if politics lost momentum.

He told delegates at the Labour Party conference in Manchester, the progress made so far in the North had been a “new chapter in the history of politics”.

He said: “We knew the road to transfer policing and justice to Northern Ireland, would be long and winding. And it is our job – our purpose – to help the parties find resolution.

“It will still require great acts of leadership from the political parties. Of understanding. Tolerance. Mutual respect. But I believe there is a collective will to succeed. Time can be a deadline but it can also be a friend.”

“It is a tense period in Northern Ireland. The Executive has not met since June. It needs to meet. There is business to be agreed. The parties need to find a way forward. But also tense because work needs to be done on policing and justice.”

Mr Woodward said the threat from the IRA had gone and the Army Council was redundant.

But he warned: “There is still another threat today in Northern Ireland...and the level of threat, one fundamentally to the police officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, today higher than any time in five years.”

“We must be careful that dissidents have no opportunity to exploit any vacuum, which may open if politics loses its momentum.

“To go forward the parties must continue working through their differences. Their leaders need to be supported in their acts of leadership, of courage and of faith.”

Labour had to work to “finish the job” and help the North’s people “achieve their fervent and brightest hopes.”

Speaking on the BBC’s 'Politics Show', Mr Woodward said progress was being made.

“We do understand those unionists who have reservations about completing devolution, we stand ready to help,” he said.

“We don’t think this is magic, it is about dialogue, it’s about trust and it is about building confidence.

“These are difficult times but I don’t think it’s a crisis. These are tense times and I understand why it is a tense time.

“We have to be very careful about making a drama out of a tense time.”