Pressure grows to move beyond DUP vetoes
Posted by Jim on May 27, 2018
The leader of the British Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn visited Belfast
this week to mark 20 years since the Good Friday peace agreement and
added his voice to efforts to circumvent unionist intransigence.
Mr Corbyn acknowledged that there is a majority for unity across Ireland
and reiterated his support for Irish reunification in the context of the
1998 peace deal.
In a speech in Belfast on Thursday, Mr Corbyn said that Labour is as
committed to the Good Friday Agreement as it has ever been.
“It has served us well for 20 years and, with commitment and
determination, will provide us with the framework for the next 20,” he
said.
“And with that in mind I want to make a plea to all parties and all
sides. We must do all we can to make powersharing work again in
Stormont. We need all sides to come together and make devolution work
again.
“That means tough choices. It means compromise and give and take. But we
owe it to the people of these islands not to allow political
disagreements to open the way for any return to the grim days of the
past.”
He urged British prime minister Theresa May to revive the moribund
‘British Irish Intergovernmental Conference’, a body set up under the
Agreement to provide Dublin with a consultative role in non-devolved
matters concerning the North.
Nationalists have been demanding the re-establishment of the conference
as a means of dealing with collapse of power-sharing in Belfast, but
have so far been ignored by the British government. It last sat eleven
years ago.
The DUP have refused to support the body as it opposes any Dublin
government involvement in the North, directly or indirectly.
The DUP leader Arlene Foster described the conference as a “talking
shop” and instead called for British Direct Rule ministers to take
decisions for the Six Counties.
BREXIT BLOCKAGE
In a speech last week, Foster accused nationalism of being �narrow and
exclusive� while lauding unionism as standing for �pluralism and
multi-culturalism�.
The DUP leader accused the Dublin government of a “very aggressive”
Brexit stance that made unionists wonder if 26 Counties was asserting a
claim on the north. But she claimed the issues that led to the collapse
of the Stormont Assembly could be resolved.
Sinn Fein, meanwhile, warned the DUP have no interest in restoring the
Assembly — because Brexit could bring significantly enhanced powers to
the north of Ireland.
The party pointed to revealing comments by the Scottish Brexit Secretary
Michael Russell, who said the DUP were blocking the transfer of powers
from Brussels to Belfast due to a fear of how Sinn F�in might use them.
The British government had published proposals that would see the “vast
majority” of powers in Brussels go directly to the devolved assemblies
after Brexit, but that now appears on hold because of pressure from
unionists in the north of Ireland.
After talks on the issue in London, Mr Russell said he was told
devolution was being “subverted” because of “fear of what Sinn Fein
might do in a legitimate assembly”.
He said he had concerns over the influence the DUP has over the British
government.
“We don’t take part in Northern Irish politics, that is an issue for
people in Northern Ireland, but it does seem that if the DUP is in a
position to veto things happening in Westminster � to veto devolved
settlements � then we’re in a dangerous situation,” he said.
Sinn F�in’s Alex Maskey said the remarks raised questions over British
government�s commitment to restoring the political institutions in the
north.
�In Sinn F�in�s view, his assessment is absolutely correct,” the West
Belfast representative said. He accused Theresa May’s government of
being “in hock to the DUP”.
“It is blatantly obvious they are abandoning any pretence of the
rigorous impartiality demanded of them by the Good Friday Agreement,” Mr
Maskey said.
“It comes as no surprise to us that the British government would be
afraid of Sinn F�in�s approach in a local administration with increased
powers.”