McGuinness defends royal banquet trip

Posted by Jim on April 6, 2014

Sinn Fein has confirmed reports that Martin McGuinness is to visit
Windsor Castle to attend a royal banquet with the English queen this
week.

Mr McGuinness will attend a banquet is being held in Windsor Castle in
honour of 26-County President Michael D Higgins, who will arrive in
England tomorrow for a State visit. Yesterday afternoon Sinn Fein
confirmed that McGuinness had accepted an invitation to attend, and he
addressed criticism by other Irish nationalists and republicans today.

He said he was “conscious” that this decision involves “political and
symbolic challenges” for Irish republicans. “However, my presence
alongside Peter Robinson brings an all-island dimension to this historic
event,” he said.

Mr McGuinness previously welcomed the queen to Belfast in 2011 in his
role as the Six-County Deputy First Minister, but did not attend a
banquet in her honour.

There appeared to be no official motivation for his attendance at this
week’s banquet, but his decision to go may be related to electoral
considerations.

With little opposition from its traditional nationalist rivals in the
SDLP and with other republican groups yet to present a meaningful
electoral challenge, Sinn Fein is said to be hoping support from
moderate unionists and pro-Union Catholics will help it to become the
largest party in the Six Counties for the first time.

However, he claimed his attendance marked another step in the peace
process, and that he remained a loyal Irish republican.

“As the record of the Peace Process demonstrates Irish republicans have
always been prepared to take decisions and risks for peace and
reconciliation,” he said.

“I am an Irish republican. A united Ireland has been, and continues to
be, the primary objective of my political life. I want to see an end to
Partition and unity of the Irish people through a genuine process of
reconciliation based on equality and tolerance.

“I want an Ireland in which one can be British or Irish and live in
harmony and mutual respect with their neighbours,” he added.

There was a wave of disquiet among Sinn Fein’s grassroots, particularly
in Derry, although none have voiced their opinions publicly.

Meanwhile, traditional republican organisations saw McGuinness’s
decision to attend the banquet by Elizabeth Windsor — the commander in
chief of the British armed forces — as a confirmation of their view
that Sinn Fein want their ‘snout in the trough’.

Eirigi press officer Stephen Murney said that as McGuinness dined at
Windsor “families across the country have to rely on food banks to
survive”.

He warned that those who “rightly” oppose his attendance would be
accused of being ‘anti-peace’.

“What will be going through his head when he has to stand for ‘God save
the queen’?” he asked. “Amazing that this is the same man who had the
audacity to call Republicans ‘traitors’.”