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Ritchie: Mistakes at St Andrews haunting policing and justice

SDLP Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA said she is optimistic a deal on policing and justice can be achieved if parties stick to their commitments.

Mon 25th January

The South Down Assembly Member said Sinn Féin’s mistakes at St Andrews had now come back to haunt them with respect to a date for devolution and a review of parades.

 

She said: “It is right that the two governments are now involved in this process as many of the problems we now face go back to the inadequacies and ambiguities of St Andrews, which they presided over. They are partly to blame for the flaws of this agreement.

 

“However, I am still optimistic a deal can be done if parties stick to what they are committed.

 

“The SDLP want the devolution of policing and justice, as do the public. Both the DUP and Sinn Féin say they want it too.

 

“But let’s be clear, Sinn Féin are the victims here – they are actually back peddling furiously on things they have conceded in the past.

 

“The SDLP and Mark Durkan in particular have said all along that Sinn Féin did not get what they claimed at St Andrews.

 

“Sinn Féin should admit their mistakes. They fell down in the St Andrews negotiations and the DUP have made them pay ever since.They deceived the Nationalist people when they said they secured a date for policing and justice. They clearly have not.

 

“They then set up a review of Parades which gave the DUP and the Orange Order an expectation that the Parades Commission would be abolished. The SDLP will not allow this to happen.

 

“And Sinn Féín then conspired with the DUP to deny Nationalists a seat at the Executive table. The SDLP will continue to oppose this gerrymander.

 

“The SDLP position is clear – there should be all party talks now as that is only way to get this issue across the line.

 

“Completing this element of devolution will give us the basis to go on and attempt to resolve the other issues that remain neglected by Sinn Féin and the DUP, namely education, the economy and a shared future.”

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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