From Unity, 30 September 2006

Painfully slow progress

by Lynda Walker

Both Reg Empey and Peter Hain are warning that Northern Ireland will not be a priority for the British Labour Party if Gordon Brown becomes Prime Minister. The Secretary of State warned that Mr Brown, who is expected to take over from Tony Blair, will not give “the same concentrated, detailed attention” to the situation here as did Tony Blair, whilst Reg Empey stated that “an internal Labour Party bloodbath could distract minds and attention from resolving once and for all the blockages standing in the way of a return to devolution in Northern Ireland.”
    Tony Blair’s arrogant statement in his “leaving speech” that he would give as much effort to the Israeli-Palestinian peace as he has to the North of Ireland must be of little comfort to those in the Middle East.
    And Reg Empey would do well to pay some attention to the other “blockages,” in the form of the DUP. With some possible change of thought on line regarding Sinn Féin and its policy on the Police Service of Northern Ireland, Ian Paisley Junior has issued a statement saying that Sinn Féin had to join the Policing Board “because it is the right thing to do,” and not as a trade-off, as usual giving the impression that even if Sinn Féin swung through the trees, flying a Union Jack in full support of the police, the DUP would still find some other reason for not “sharing power” with republicans.
    Paisley Junior went on to say: “Unionist confidence has to be built up, and everybody has to accept the rule of law.” In response to this the chairman of Sinn Féin, Mitchell McLaughlin, told the BBC “Politics Show”: “We have to take local control so that people can be satisfied that the threshold for a new beginning to policing has been achieved.”
    Progress is painfully slow regarding the establishment of a devolved Assembly, but the “peace process” is continuing, and people here are thankful that the peace is being maintained. A stark reminder of this is the trial for the Omagh bombing, which began this week. Many questions still hang over the events of the day, but there is no doubt that the bomb was meant to destroy and halt the political situation at the time for those working for the Belfast Agreement.
    In the meantime Northern Ireland politicians were attending the Labour Party conference this week. Fringe meetings were held with Reg Empey and the leader of the SDLP, Mark Durkan; and the Sinn Féin Assembly member John O’Dowd also spoke at a fringe event.
    Reg Empey, Mark Durkan, the Sinn Féin MP Pat Doherty and Nigel Dodd of the DUP all had their breakfast together on Wednesday morning. If they can sup together they can talk together; and what the Northern Ireland politicians should be giving their full attention and support to is the fight-back against the water charges and the privatisation of water here, as evident at the meeting that took place in Belfast this week. The policies of the Labour Party are devastating for ordinary people, from the health service to public transport, and the water charges will be at the cutting edge of increased poverty here. Northern Ireland politicians have a duty to challenge “New Labour” on these issues.

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