Peter Robinson is caught in a Maze

In what can best be described as an act of political cowardice, Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson has performed an astonishing volte-face by withdrawing support for a peace-and-reconciliation centre at the former Maze prison, outside Belfast.

Mr Robinson, who supports the retention of the prison hospital, and some H-Block cells where ten republican prisoners died on hunger strike in 1981, appears to have caved in to hard-line unionists.

The Orange Order, the TUV and the UUP have all called for the H-Block cells to be demolished.