Prime Minister's statement on political deadlock

The Prime Minister Tony Blair has today said that he has spoken with the leaders of the DUP and Sinn Fein after cutting short his holiday in the USA to try to break the current political deadlock in Northern Ireland.

A statement by Tony Blair, said that both Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley had both made their positions on the issues of power-sharing and support for policing, justice and the rule of law clear to him, and in response the Prime Minister set out his understanding of their positions.

He continued: “Both parties have already publicly agreed to power-sharing on the basis and timeframe set out at St Andrews.

“On policing, justice and the rule of law Sinn Fein will propose to their Party’s Ard Fheis that Sinn Fein commit now and fully to support the PSNI and the criminal justice system and actively encourage everyone to co-operate fully with the police services in tackling crime in all areas as well as actively supporting all the criminal justice institutions. These proposals, if committed to, and acted upon amount to the support by Sinn Fein for the rule of law, police and courts that is necessary.”

The Prime Minister added that the DUP have said they require that the Sinn Fein commitments to support for the police, the courts and the rule of law are translated into action so that there is real and tangible evidence of such support and it is delivery on those commitments that will create the conditions for devolution of policing and justice to take place. When there is delivery, there will be devolution.

In addition, the DUP has said that it will do nothing to delay or obstruct devolution of policing and justice when those conditions are met.

Mr Blair continued: “My view therefore is that if there is delivery by Sinn Fein of support for the police, courts and rule of law within the St Andrew’s timeframe, then there should be devolution of policing and justice within that timeframe.

“It is only on this basis and with this clarity that we can proceed to an election. I am confident that both parties want to see progress and will honour their commitments.

“But there is no point in proceeding unless there is such clarity.”

In response to Mr Blair's statement, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said: "Last Friday the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle backed a proposal to convene a special Ard Fheis on policing. We set out in clear and unequivocal terms the substance of the motion which we would put to the Ard Fheis and our intention to hold this before the end of January. We also set a very clear course forward and stated very plainly that we would be going to the party to ask it to support this motion. This is a hugely significant step.

"British Prime Minister Tony Blair's statement this morning accurately summarises the core of our Ard Fheis motion on policing.

"Of course the difficulties which have arisen over recent days are not about Sinn Féin's commitments. We set these out very clearly last Friday. The difficulties, which led to intense negotiations between Sinn Féin and the British government in recent days, were because the DUP did not respond positively.

"Republicans want to see a new beginning to policing. We want to move forward. We want our special Ard Fheis to go ahead. But this cannot be a one way street. The DUP also have commitments and responsibilities. We now await their response to Tony Blair's statement."

(EF)