ULSTER UNIONIST Party (UUP)leader Sir Reg Empey said he has not “slammed the door” on agreeing to support tomorrow’s vote in the Assembly to establish a department of justice on April 12th.
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton held a “useful” phone conversation on Saturday with Sir Reg during which they discussed tomorrow’s Assembly vote. Sir Reg said they had a 15-minute conversation but Mrs Clinton did not try to “strong-arm” him over the vote.
On Friday the UUP said it was not in a position to support the motion on devolving police and justice powers to the Northern Executive on April 12th. The party said it wanted assurances on a range of issues such as greater collegiality within the Executive and resolution of issues around education.
The UUP’s executive of some 100 members is to meet in east Belfast tonight when it is due to take a definitive decision on tomorrow’s vote.
The Assembly working group on “improving Executive function and delivery”, which he and SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie chair, is due to publish its interim report this morning.
This report will deal with some of the issues of particular concern to the UUP. Were First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness to issue an initial positive response to the report then there is still the possibility that Sir Reg could ask his executive for the green light to support the Assembly motion.
“There would have to be very significant changes to the current position. But I am not slamming the door on anything at this stage,” Sir Reg told The Irish Times yesterday.
He said the conversation with Mrs Clinton was “useful”. “She obviously wants matters to keep moving forward . . . she was trying to be helpful as she always is.”
Mrs Clinton also held 15-minute phone conversations with Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness on Saturday. “She was urging the parties to keep moving forward . . . there was no question of her meddling,” explained a senior source.
There is still uncertainty over tomorrow’s vote. The motion to establish a department of justice, with Alliance leader David Ford expected to be offered the post, can be carried with just the support of the DUP and Sinn Féin.
Mr Robinson has said he would not press ahead with the transfer of policing and justice powers unless he had UUP support. However, late last week he indicated that such was the support he was receiving that he could act without the backing of the UUP, although his preferred option is for that endorsement.
A NI office poll of more than 1,000 conducted over Friday and Saturday found that 75 per cent of respondents supported the transfer of policing and justice powers “so that the Executive can get on with the job of improving life for everyone in Northern Ireland”. A total of 68 per cent said they wanted local ministers running policing and justice.
Mr Robinson would have taken encouragement from Saturday’s meeting of the Orange Order, which welcomed “progress” made on parading in the Hillsborough Castle Agreement.