SF decision offers hope to all sides

IT was a great relief that Sinn Féin, through a combination of skill and determination, had persuaded its membership to vote in favour of the party’s motion supporting a new era in policing in Northern Ireland.

It would be churlish not to express admiration for a leadership which enabled such a successful conclusion following an openly democratic process involving all members.

How many other political parties promote the same degree of hard-hitting and challenging debate among their members, free to express the kind of dissent that makes such a valuable contribution to debate.