‘DUP secured key legacy wins on issues McGuinness vetoed in deal’

The DUP has hit back at revelations that Martin McGuinness vetoed all legacy matters out of the Fresh Start deal in 2015, saying it subsequently secured victories across key areas that were discussed.
By Philip Bradfield
Published 12th Sep 2020, 06:30 BST
Updated 13th Sep 2020, 10:57 BST
DUP talks negotiator Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has hit back after revelations that Martin McGuinness vetoed all content from the Fresh Strate Deal in 2015.DUP talks negotiator Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has hit back after revelations that Martin McGuinness vetoed all content from the Fresh Strate Deal in 2015.
DUP talks negotiator Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has hit back after revelations that Martin McGuinness vetoed all content from the Fresh Strate Deal in 2015.

Yesterday the News Letter reported that former Government advisor Lord Caine made the revelations about the late Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister at the NI Affairs Committee this week.

Many victims expressed deep concern about the 2014 Stormont House Agreement (SHA) and had, vainly, been hoping for reforms through the Fresh Start deal.

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However Sir Jeffrey Donaldson now says that there was never going to be agreement on legacy reforms through Fresh Start - but that the DUP has since secured some of the key demands.

“Issues that we were pursuing at that time and continue to pursue included a payments scheme for innocent victims and the definition of victim pertaining to such schemes,” he said.

“Far from being weak negotiators, we have persisted on and have since delivered substantially on both of these objectives, with a payments scheme now in law and awaiting funding, which excludes terrorists.

“We held our ground on the national security issues that so exercised the former Deputy First Minister [unmasking Troubles era informers] and thus the Sinn Fein veto has been completely ineffective in getting this changed. Unionism held its nerve on these matters, we persevered and we won.”

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Regarding the Historical Investigations Unit proposed under the SHA/Fresh Start, he said the DUP continues to engage with victims groups and others to find a solution that works for everyone. “We expect the Government to publish their revised plans in the next few months. It remains the view of the DUP that any legacy process must be victim lead and victim centred.”

But UUP MLA Doug Beattie said his party never supported the SHA’s proposed legacy mechanisms.

“It is very telling to have our suspicions confirmed that once again Sinn Fein were allowed to have a veto over legacy during Fresh Start negotiations, and this demonstrates just how consistent they have been in their refusal to compromise in any way,” he said.

“This shows just why we are in the place we are right now, with a toxic atmosphere within the victims and survivors sector which is not healthy.

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“Thankfully things are no longer going all Sinn Fein’s way. The discriminatory SHA is rightly being dismantled and there is movement to address the shameful ‘On-the-Runs’ scheme. To this we can add the discomfort Sinn Fein has experienced with regard to the Victims Payment Scheme which was delivered by Westminster and is now being administered by the Department of Justice in spite of Sinn Fein opposition.”

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