Ritchie comments on meeting of Party Leaders

SDLP Leader and South Down Assembly Member Margaret Ritchie MLA has attended a meeting of party leaders in Parliament buildings today to discuss the details of the Hillsborough arrangement.

Tue 9th February

Ms Ritchie repeated the party’s objections to the departure from the democratic principles of the Good Friday Agreement and revealed she will travel to Dublin tomorrow to meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

 

She said: “This morning I attended a meeting of party leaders to discuss the Hillsborough arrangement.

 

“I asked for more details of the Working Groups referred to in the document.

 

“I repeated that the SDLP will not accept the departure from the democratic principles on the appointment of the new justice minister.

 

“However, on behalf of the SDLP I have agreed to participate in further bilateral meetings with the First Minister and deputy First Minister.

 

“Tomorrow evening, I will lead a party delegation to Dublin where we will meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs and once again I will spell out the SDLP’s concerns.

 

“The SDLP want to see the devolution of policing and justice as soon as possible and we welcome the progress mad, but we will not accept the corruption of democracy in the appointment of a minister.”

 

Margaret Ritchie

Margaret Ritchie MP, Westminster

Email m.ritchie@sdlp.ie
Tel 028 4461 2882

Press Office

Tel 028 90 52 1837

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