SDLP led the way on police accountability

IT is welcome that the Taoiseach has recognised how the SDLP “led the way for the nationalist community” on the issue of policing.

The SDLP, the Irish Government and the Catholic Church showed positive leadership in supporting the Patten report recommendations.

Since then, it is the SDLP that has done the heavy lifting on the Police Board and in the process to ensure the police are fully accountable.

Despite intimidation and threats, ordinary nationalists have shown enormous courage in participating in local District Policing Partnership Boards.

While Sinn Féin has very little to show for seven years of opposition to the police, the SDLP and others have ensured the new beginning to policing has become a reality.

Catholics now make up 21% of the PSNI — by 2010, it will be 30%.

On December 5 last, the Oversight Commissioner for Policing Reform, Al Hutchinson, reported that over 86% of the Patten reforms had been implemented to date.

Relatively few of the recommendations were outstanding, and of those that were, many should be completed by next May.

It really should be no surprise to anyone that Gerry Adams and Sinn Féin have decided to support policing — once again it is a case of where SDLP leads, Sinn Féin follows.

As Mark Durkan , SDLP leader, stated a few years ago: “For decades it was democratic consent. SDLP led. Sinn Féin followed.

“For decades we called for an end to violence. SDLP led. Sinn Féin followed. “For decades we called for the three sets of relationships that are now at the core of the Good Friday Agreement. SDLP led. Others followed”.

More recently, it was decommissioning. SDLP called for it as a requirement of the agreement.

Sinn Féin followed.

This year it is policing. SDLP have led. And I bet you know what I’m going to say next.

That’s right. Sinn Féin will follow.

Cllr Tim Attwood

2 Lakeglen Green

Andersonstown Road

Belfast