Sinn Féin must sever ties with IRA

IT would be difficult to exaggerate the gravity of the threat hanging over the peace process in Northern Ireland, as paramilitaries continue to fan the flames of sectarian conflict on the streets of Belfast.

Commendably, however, the British Government has refused to be stampeded by unionist demands for Sinn Féin’s expulsion from the power-sharing executive.

Like it or not, Sinn Féin is still the only game in town. That said, however, there is an urgent need for the party to sever its umbilical cord with the IRA, a process that could be accelerated by the measures unveiled yesterday.