No alternative to Trimble - McGimpsey

While others have been critical, or cautious at best, in relation to comments made in Washington by UUP leader Mr David Trimble…

While others have been critical, or cautious at best, in relation to comments made in Washington by UUP leader Mr David Trimble, party colleague Mr Michael McGimpsey has offered total support.

A long-standing member of the UUP's liberal wing and the former culture minister in the North's short-lived executive, he will be backing Mr Trimble in any potential leadership contest at Saturday's Ulster Unionist Council meeting.

"It is time the anti-agreement element of this party put up or shut up. We will see on Saturday if they have the courage of their convictions to stand against David."

He believes a motion which would allow the UUP re-enter the executive with Sinn Fein only if the British government pledged to retain the RUC's name is "a leadership challenge by the back door".

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It is being proposed by a former Trimble ally, Mr David Burnside, who runs the Unionist Bureau in London and claims the motion would strengthen Mr Trimble.

Mr McGimpsey thinks this is nonsense: "If passed, it would restrict David immensely in negotiations. The aim is to make him leader in name only. Power would be taken away from him. David's hands would be tied.

"It is disgraceful that these people are making the police a political issue. The RUC is the property, not of the UUP, but of our entire society."

Mr McGimpsey is intensely critical of the anti-agreement UUP camp. "They are fuelled by personal bitterness. They got it wrong on the Good Friday agreement. The majority of Northern Ireland voted `yes' and they can't acknowledge that.

"Rather than accept defeat, they want to continually re-run the agreement battle in the desperate hope they might secure victory. They have no chance. They are only a small clique.

"There is no alternative to David Trimble as leader. Look around, what is the choice? He is like the agreement - everybody runs him down, but there is nothing else on offer."

Mr McGimpsey believes anti-agreement figures have weakened unionism. "The Union is secure. The agreement granted self-determination to Northern Ireland. Articles 2 and 3 are gone. This is a good time for unionism. Yet by their scare-mongering, they have divided unionism and created fear."

He is scathing of the DUP. "They embraced their Stormont pay packets. They used their ministerial cars. They accepted the chairmanship of Assembly committees. The DUP, despite its blustering, is a pro-agreement party."

In Washington, Mr Trimble said Sinn Fein could re-enter the executive without a prior arms handover. However, guarantees on future decommissioning would be needed in advance.

Sinn Fein's cool reply - it said it would await Saturday's UUC me eting - annoys Mr McGimpsey. He is disappointed at "this negative and mean response".

He is concerned that after a four-month halt, the Provisional IRA has recommenced "punishment" shootings.

Does he believe the war is over? "In the past, republicans always said nationalists could get justice and equality only in a united Ireland and therefore armed struggle was moral. Now, Sinn Fein leaders say nationalists can get justice and equality within Northern Ireland through the agreement.

"That logically means armed struggle is immoral and wrong. I think the republican movement drifts between these two positions with more at a grassroots, than at a leadership level, clinging to the first position."

He believes Sinn Fein leaders have moved considerably from a traditional republican position, but doesn't want to praise them too much - "Well done Gerry" might do more harm than good.

He believes the compromises have been motivated by political ambition. "The leadership wants to win the soft nationalist vote in Northern Ireland, overtaking the SDLP as the largest nationalist party, and it wants to expand in the South. It is aware that `the Ra' is incompatible with doing this."

Despite the stalemate, Mr McGimpsey remains optimistic about the future of the peace process. "The anti-agreement camp, both unionist and republican, have in the past blocked the process but have never managed to bring it down. This time will be no different."

But how does he believe the process can be put back on track? "I have a lot of ideas but I'm not going to share them at the minute. Now everyone is home from St Patrick's Day, the process will intensify," he said.