A SENIOR SDLP Assembly member has called on First Minister Peter Robinson and the DUP to stop allowing the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister to “set the DUP agenda”.
With Mr Allister last night again taunting that the DUP is in “complete disarray” over policing and justice, SDLP policing board member Alex Attwood said the DUP was showing weakness in the face of a threat from the TUV.
“The DUP have made themselves vulnerable in allowing Jim Allister to set their agenda,” said Mr Attwood.
He said Mr Robinson appeared to be pursuing an agenda of trying to win back voters lost to the TUV by imposing preconditions for the transfer of policing and justice powers to the Northern Executive but this had “backfired”.
Mr Attwood’s comments were prompted by mixed signals from the DUP about its opposition to the new PSNI chief constable Matt Baggott’s decision to phase out the police full-time reserve by 2011.
At the start of the week DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson appeared to set the retention of the full-time reserve as a precondition for transferring justice powers.
On Wednesday Mr Robinson drew back from that position by accepting the operational independence of the chief constable regardless of his own opposition to disbanding the full-time reserve.
This in turn led to Mr Donaldson giving several interviews insisting that he had not altered his stance. Mr Robinson too issued a statement on Thursday repeating that the full-time reserve should be retained.
While not characterising this as a precondition per se, Mr Robinson said that the bottom line was that there must be community confidence for transferring justice powers and that the full-time reserve was an issue that affected such confidence. “Confidence will not be built if the public believe there is a reduction in the ability of the PSNI to do the job,” he said.
Mr Allister repeated in Newtownstewart, Co Tyrone, last night that the different DUP statements showed the party was in complete disarray.
“So does the DUP require the full-time reserve to be retained in order for policing and justice to be devolved or do they not? Let’s have a clear yes or no answer to this question, no more obfuscation or refuge in flexible language?”
Seeking to sow division within the DUP, Mr Allister added: “When Jeffrey Donaldson says the reserve must stay does his party leader agree? And, what about the currently silent men, Nigel Dodds, Gregory Campbell, David Simpson and William McCrea?”
Mr Attwood said that the DUP should not allow itself to be dictated to by Mr Allister.
“They can’t allow another week of sniping from Jim Allister. Peter Robinson needs to calm down and make the big call on policing and justice. He should go forward in a position of strength,” he said.
He added that at a private meeting of the policing board on Thursday Mr Baggott issued a detailed report which should allow more officers out on the ground.
“The SDLP consider that this meeting, the chief constable’s approach and the work of all members of the policing board can help clear the air,” he said. “The SDLP believe that with a fair wind and good will the issues around police deployment can be addressed and done so satisfactorily. This can be done in a way that earns the support of all parties and all within our communities.”