Everything Ulster - Election 2005

OK, strictly speaking, the existence of roughly one million unionists in Northern Ireland is the biggest obstacle, but according to the SDLP leader Mark Durkan, the key to a United Ireland is persuasion, not coercion. He goes on to say "The existence of the IRA is only making the task of persuasion more difficult."

At the same time, Newry-Armagh MLA Dominic Bradley has backed up the Irish government's claims that the provisionals are to blame for the current impasse in the peace process. He said "The core problems are the failure of the DUP to work the Agreement, failure of Sinn Fein to sign up to policing and the failure of all paramilitaries to go away now and for good.

In an attempt to switch the focus back onto the Irish government, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has said "What about policing? Demilitarisation? Human rights and equality? The political institutions?"

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SOUTH Antrim Ulster Unionist David Burnside MP has said unionists should only consider voting for the SDLP in an effort to keep Sinn Fein from winning seats in a multi-seat PR election. He went on to say that in a Westminster election, it is vital that unionists vote for a unionists candidate.

He also called for the SDLP to publicly state that they will form a voluntary assembly coalition with the DUP, UUP and Alliance at Stormont, going on to say that "Without that condition... unionist voters should not vote for the SDLP because they would be endorsing a pan-nationalist agenda to put Sinn Fein in government. ... No Republican criminals must ever again be put in the government of Northern Ireland."

The SDLP's Dominic Bradley, MLA for Newry-Armagh, ruled out this arrangement claiming his party was sticking to the Good Friday Agreement's commitment to inclusion and claimed that "That doesnt mean we tolerate wrongdoing from any paramilitary group, but excluding Sinn Fein would achieve nothing."

One has to question what the SDLP's position on wrongdoing from a paramilitary group is. They say they won't tolerate it, while at the same time refusing to punish it.

This article was reported in today's Newsletter, but is not, at the time of publishing, available online.