Robinson in the Driving Seat has meant further dents to Ulster’s Bodywork says Kennedy
UUP Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy today responded to comments made by Peter Robinson in the Newsletter and accused the DUP deputy leader of trying to hide behind others.
In a statement Mr Kennedy said,
“The fact that Peter Robinson is still trying to hide behind others illustrates the weakness of his case. There is no dispute anymore that the St Andrews Agreement is a greener version of the Belfast Agreement; more north south bodies, more for ex prisoners, an Irish language act, access to top civil service posts for Irish civil servants and more powers for the human rights commission.
On the other side of the coin the DUP is claiming that they have forced republicans to do things which they would otherwise not have done. Oh really? Decommissioning was started not because of the DUP but in spite of them; as for policing, SF should support policing because it is the right thing to do, not because they get a bunch of concessions for it.
Peter Robinson said that DUP would be in the driving seat at St Andrews. They have nobody else to blame if there are further dents in Ulster’s bodywork as a result.
The fundamental issue is that after years of opposing any solutions, and in particular the 1998 Belfast Agreement, Ian Paisley is now proposing power sharing with Sinn Fein, something which was previously unimaginable.
Every unionist leader before him was abused and criticised. Yet he now proposes to be sharing joint office with Martin McGuinness. So what has the turmoil in unionism been about? While all the wasted years? What has changed?
Nobody else is to blame for the greening of the Belfast Agreement that St Andrews represents except the DUP itself. It’s their deal and they didn’t have to do it.”