Northern Ireland should never facilitate a Sinn Fein first minister

The comment by the DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson that “stable devolved government can only be built on a solid foundation” (July 9) begs the question: does Sir Jeffrey believe that a Sinn Fein first minister provides such a bedrock?

If he doesn’t, then he should make clear that the DUP will never, under any circumstances, facilitate the installation of a political representative of SF/IRA as first minister of Northern Ireland.

Adopting such a principled position will enable Sir Jeffrey to walk in step with the vast body of pro-Union voters who are rightly appalled by the prospect of NI being led by someone who is fervently anti-British and who eulogises and commemorates IRA murderers, criminals and human rights abusers.

If he does believe a Sinn Fein first minister is capable of providing a stable government for Northern Ireland, then Sir Jeffrey is badly out of step with reality and will need to explain why the DUP’s recent election campaign pleaded for voters to vote DUP in order to prevent a SF FM.

However despite his clarion call, many tens of thousands of unionist voters expressed through the ballot box that they simply do not believe the DUP is an effective or politically trustworthy entity capable of safeguarding Northern Ireland’s position within the UK.

Unionism should only unite around an agenda that strengthens NI’s position with the UK. If the DUP leader believes that having a SF/IRA first minister helps achieve this objective then he’s on very shaky ground indeed.

Thomas Smyth, Belfast BT4