"Preposterous" Parading and Train Wrecks
Last week Peter Robinson emerged from Downing Street calling for more progress on replacing the Parades Commission. Martin McGuinness countered by calling the linkage of that demand to the devolution of justice "preposterous".
The DUP claim republicans themselves linked parading to the transfer of policing powers when they refused to allow the publication of the Ashdown report. That report suggested replacing the current parades Commission with a series of tribunals appointed by the OFMDFM. Although the relationship between Stormont and the politicians is meant to be arm's length the track record of the OFMDFM on decision making doesn't inspire confidence.
The abolition of the Parades Commission would undoubtedly build confidence so far as the Orange Order is concerned. But it would annoy many nationalists, and even the Police Federation has expressed its own concerns. With a contentious parade due in North Belfast next weekend, commemorating the UVF member the issue was the subject of a DUP SDLP debate on yesterday's Inside Politics.
NIO figures may well be scurrying around trying to come up with inventive solutions to the latest marching stand-off (a mixture of the current Commission and the Ashdown proposals?) but they are getting little thanks for their efforts from Sinn Fein's National Chairperson Declan Kearney, who yesterday accused them of pursuing an "anti-republican, pro-unionist agenda".
This is the second time Mr Kearney has been used as Sinn Fein's conveyor of an uncompromising message (previously he warned that things might be heading for Both times he has wrapped the British government together with the DUP (which may be news to those who have witnessed how anxious Shaun Woodward is to get a deal). Both times the DUP has responded by saying they would not bow to threats or "tantrums". This morning Gregory Campbell hit back by telling ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Foyle it could be "years" before justice is devolved.
Apart from telling the DUP they are following a "train wreck strategy", Mr Kearney hit out at the recent SOCA raids on republicans in South Armagh and rejected any re-deployment of military units.
Asked by a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ reporter after making his speech at Dunloy whether his talk that "political consequences will be inevitable" amounted to a threat to walk out of the Stormont Executive, Mr Kearney said that "the present political situation is unsustainable and unacceptable". Pushed on whether Sinn Fein would walk away from the institutions, he added "the ball is in the DUP's court".
All of which means that Gordon Brown and Brian Cowen will have their work cut out when they meet in Downing Street later today.
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