Britain should be neutral on Ulster, says Woodward
THE Government should be neutral on Northern Ireland and state that it does not have a "selfish interest" in the Province, Secretary of State Shaun Woodward has said.
Attacking the rationale behind the Conservative Party's link with the Ulster Unionists, Mr Woodward said that the British Government should not take sides on Northern Ireland's future.
In 2008 Conservative leader David Cameron reversed years of Tory indifference to Northern Ireland's place in the UK, telling the UUP conference that he had a "selfish, strategic interest" in Northern Ireland.
But despite Conservative support for the policing and justice deal which Mr Woodward brokered between the DUP and Sinn Fein, he yesterday criticised the Conservatives for establishing closer links with the Ulster Unionists, saying the Westminster Government had to be a "neutral broker" during sensitive negotiations in Northern Ireland.
Last night the Conservatives dismissed the attack, accusing the Labour Government of attempting to divert national attention from its handling of the country.
A Conservative spokesman said: "It is unfortunate that just because of the way the Government is in such dire straits politically across the whole of the UK, they have to invent dividing lines on Northern Ireland."
Labour ministers, including Lord Mandelson, have increasingly attacked the Conservatives' link with the UUP and its decision to end British "neutrality" on the Province.
Yesterday Mr Woodward, a former Tory, told Sky News' Sunday Live programme: "There's been a very fine tradition in the House of Commons now for a very long time, begun under John Major, (on Northern Ireland issues) of ensuring that actually there are no differences between the Government and the Opposition.
"We have all got to be very careful of becoming involved in a situation where it is possible for people in Northern Ireland to think that the Government in Westminster has a position towards one particular party rather than another."
In an apparent repudiation of Mr Cameron's comments stressing his commitment to the Union, he said: "All of us have got to be absolutely crystal clear that we are the unequivocal neutral broker, that there is no selfish interest for us in Northern Ireland."
Speaking of the deal agreed at Hillsborough Castle following 11 days of intensive DUP/Sinn Fein talks, Mr Woodward compared the parties to a couple coming together and gradually agreeing to live together.
"At Good Friday people decided to build on the land where they might one day have a house together," he said.
"At St Andrews they actually had the house. But this is the decision to actually move in together, share power, live together, make it work and complete devolution.
"We should be very careful about being cynical.
"And we should also be very careful about one more thing: this is going to require all the parties in Northern Ireland to come on board.
"I'm very grateful for the support of the Conservative Party, who were out very quickly on Friday to say they supported this agreement."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Belfast
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
