DUP Hypocrisy could hand Education Ministry to Sinn Féin says Empey
Saturday, March 3rd, 2007
Ulster Unionist Party Leader Sir Reg Empey has hit out at what he calls massive hypocrisy by the DUP in their decision to take the Finance Ministry in any future Executive if they emerge as the largest party.
Sir Reg said this could potentially hand the Education portfolio to Gerry Kelly or Barry McElduff. The DUP heaped abuse on the UUP for years and in manifesto after manifesto for Sinn Fein having taken the post in the last Executive even though the DUP ducked out of taking Education in 1999.
In a statement Sir Reg said,
“Not only do we have the utterly two faced approach of the DUP in saying that they will take the Ministry of Finance to tackle water charges while still point blank refusing to say whether they will go into government on the 26 march; but now, after all their abuse and mock incredulity over the last few years about Sinn Fein being in charge of Education., by their actions they could allow Gerry Kelly or Barry McElduff to take the Education portfolio.
This is the worst kind of political hypocrisy imaginable but not unsurprising from an unprincipled Leadership. It is all very well coming off with a line about wanting to stop water charges as we all do, but the hue and cry for years about education cannot go unchecked. The DUP should explain clearly why they have all but given a green light to Sinn Fein to take the Education Ministry.
I can pledge now that Ulster Unionists will take the Education portfolio if the opportunity arises, as our first choice. The simple outworking of the DUPs decision to take Finance is that by voting DUP unionists could be voting Sinn Fein into the Education Ministry “
Ulster Unionist Party Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy today said that the only way of ensuring that the Education Ministry does not fall into Sinn Fein hands is to vote UUP.