TV DEBATE:THE LEADERS of the North's four main parties fought a lively, punchy debate on BBC Northern Ireland last night, again with no clear winners, but with each candidate surely satisfied they argued their cases lucidly and assertively.
The four leaders argued over whether and in what circumstances the British army could be brought back to the streets of the North.
Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey sought to gain advantage against Peter Robinson, Gerry Adams and Margaret Ritchie by insisting that if it was required the British army should be brought back to support the PSNI in trying to deal with the dissident threat.
DUP leader Mr Robinson said it was not an issue as it would be an operational matter for the PSNI chief constable Matt Baggott to decide whether he needed military support. “It is his call and I will support his call. It will be a security decision, not a military decision.” During this segment he said it was “for the birds” that Mr Adams was never in the IRA.
“Everybody knows that Gerry Adams has been in the IRA.” SDLP leader Ms Ritchie also opposed any notion of returning the British army to the streets with Sir Reg suggesting that the nationalist/unionist division on the issue in the Northern Executive justified his decision not to support the recent devolution of policing and justice powers.
The Sinn Féin leader accused Sir Reg of playing into the hands of the dissidents. “These small non-representative groups can be faced down and politically defeated,” he said.
There were also some fireworks during discussion of the electoral pact which allowed unity unionist candidate Rodney Connor a free run against Sinn Fein’s Michelle Gildernew and the SDLP’s Fearghal McKinney.
Against Mr Adams’s complaints the new SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie defended her decision not to withdraw Mr McKinney from Fermanagh-South Tyrone in reciprocation for Sinn Féin withdrawing Alex Maskey from South Belfast where outgoing SDLP MP Dr Alasdair McDonnell is opposed by UCUNF and DUP candidates.
“He has retired from politics,” said Ms Ritchie of Mr Maskey, forcing Mr Adams on the defensive by stating this was untrue. In turn the Sinn Fein leader put the argument that a pact was forged in an “Orange hall”, with the implicit support of the SDLP, that was designed to “rob” a “young mother” (Michelle Gildernew) of her House of Commons seat.
Both Sir Reg and Mr Robinson rejected the “Orange” allegation, saying the deal was done in Mr Connor’s front room.
POLITICAL DEBATE HOW THEY FARED
PETER ROBINSON
Performance:Tight, terse and assured. No hard blows were landed on him on well-played issues such as expenses and political trust .
Key moment:Making his pitch firmly that both dissident republicans and anti-agreement unionists were the players of the past.
Key phrase:"Reg is committed to vote in order to cut the block grant. I am committed to preserve the block grant . . . Either they can have big cuts or real clout."
GERRY ADAMS
Performance:Confident, making a pitch for nationalists to elect Michelle Gildernew in Fermanagh-South Tyrone.
Key moment:Warning Sir Reg Empey that it was folly to play the line of bringing the British army back onto the streets of Northern as that was only playing into the hands of the dissidents.
Key phrase:"Dissidents should grow up, catch themselves on and stop it, and anyone who has any information should bring it forward."
MARGARET RITCHIE
Performance:Self-assured and much more relaxed than in her UTV appearance. Held the line on defending her opposition to Green or Orange pacts and also landed a few jabs against Gerry Adams.
Key moment:Putting it to Gerry Adams that he had no record on economic matters.
Key phrase:"If politics is moving forward why would you take people back to sectarian, tribal pacts and tribal trenches?"
SIR REG EMPEY
Performance:Attacked the UUP-Tory alliance, saying unionists would no longer be "left on the window ledge of the union".
Key moment:Outline influence of UUP-Tories over the British army's role in the north.
Key phrase:"Unlike Peter [Robinson] we are not there to negotiate with the British government. We are there to be part of the British government."