Tory/DUP pact blamed as Stormont talks end in failure

Posted by Jim on July 4, 2017

The collapse of talks to revive power-sharing has been described by Sinn
Fein’s Michelle O’Neill as a “monumental failure” by British Prime
Minister Theresa May who she said had “set back decades of work” in the
peace process.

The talks finally fell apart today as participants sought a soft landing
for the negotiations before the traditional summer break.

Next week will witness the height of the unionist marching season, when
hundreds of sectarian parades follow a night of bonfire intimidation and
violence.

Addressing journalists at Parliament Buildings in Belfast, Democratic
Unionist leader Arlene Foster spoke of contacts continuing through the
summer, and insisted her party’s Assembly members should continue to be
paid.

“I have indicated very clearly that we intend to continue the
negotiations, the coming together, the talks over the summer months,”
she said.

“I do accept that there will be people off on holidays from time to
time, but I think what you are hearing from myself and the DUP is a
commitment to continue the work, because we want to find an
accommodation that everybody can buy into and we want to find an
accommodation that is long-lasting and that will not lead to further
problems six months down the line.”

While Assembly members have not been sitting in Parliament Buildings
since March’s snap election, the politicians’ summer recess starts on
Friday.

In a statement this evening, British Direct Ruler James Brokenshire
finally confirmed the talks had ended and that a new power-sharing
Executive will not be formed “in the immediate term”.

But the Tory cabinet member, who still claims to be a neutral talks
arbitrator, said the northern parties had “emphasised their desire to
remain engaged and to find a way to return to and resolve these issues.
The [British] Government welcomes this and will do all it can to work
with the parties to achieve a successful outcome.”

Negotiations have ended until at least the end of the peak marching
season, and will likely not fully resume until late August at the
earliest.

The talks had been struggling with the DUP’s refusal to implement
previous agreements, but faced a new obstacle with the hugely
controversial deal between the DUP and the Tories to allow Theresa May
to return as British PM with the support of the DUP’s ten MPs.

One secret element of that deal may have been revealed on Monday when
Brokenshire said a requirement for details of party donations in the
North to be released would ignore those paid before July this year,
drawing a legislative veil over secret donations to the DUP worth
hundeds of thousands of pounds.

Details also emerged of a 20,000 pound flight on an RAF jet afforded to
Foster at the conclusion of her deal-making with Theresa May, confirming
her role as the Westminster ‘kingmaker’, with power and status far in
excess of that currently wielded by her political rivals.

Sinn Fein indicated the talks could remain frozen for months. Party
leader Gerry Adams blamed the failure of the talks on DUP intransigence.

He said: “The reality is that the Sinn F�in electorate will not consent
to being governed by the DUP on DUP terms. And we wouldn’t expect the
DUP electorate to be governed or to consent to be governed by Sinn F�in
on Sinn F�in terms.”

Sinn F�in leader in the North, Michelle O’Neill, also blamed the Tories.
She said: “What this constitutes is a monumental failure on behalf of
Theresa May – she has set back decades of work that has been done here
throughout the years.

“And it’s a consequence – as we all know – of the DUP supporting the
prime minister and, in turn, the prime minister supporting the DUP”.

Ms O’Neill also insisted her party’s Assembly members should continue to
be paid.

“Our people are here, our MLAs are here,” she said.

“They are working and they will continue to work. We are very focused on
wanting to make these institutions work and we are also very focused on
delivering first class constituency services for all of our citizens.”

She said that her party were focused on delivering rights that are
available to citizens in other parts of these islands and added, “the
reason we don�t see those rights afforded and the reason that Theresa
May is sitting back and allowing that to happen is because she is in
hock to the DUP”.