Loyalist Communities Council statement: Calls for calm after Sinn Fein 'joint authority' demand

David Cambell, chair of the Loyalist Communities Council, issued a statement today on the matter."I appeal to the Northern Ireland leadership of Sinn Fein, particularly those who participated in the 1996 to 1998 peace talks to urgently rein in their President from the Republic of Ireland," he said."Her comments are inflammatory and expose her inexperience of Northern Ireland and its recent past. To suggest that there must be some form of London-Dublin joint rule is tantamount to destroying not just our political process but our peace process."The Belfast Agreement determined that the Republic of Ireland would have no part of Strand One issues ie, the internal governance of Northern Ireland. This was approved by referenda not just in Northern Ireland but in the Republic aswell. Sinn Fein must either respect the integrity of that Agreement or they must declare that their new leadership is departing from it."I have urgently contacted the main loyalist groupings to appeal for calm and to resist this clear provocation from Sinn Fein. The return to respect for the core principles of the Belfast Agreement will ensure a return to devolved government in Northern Ireland. This is what the entirety of the unionist community is demanding. Careless talk at this moment is not helpful."

The LCC includes representatives of the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando terror groups.

Mr Campbell was speaking in response to comments by Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald on Friday in Downpatrick where she said, “There won’t be a return to direct rule".

She added: “If political unionism believes that by boycotting and wrecking the institutions of government here that there will be a return to direct rule they are sadly mistaken. The only alternative to the executive in Belfast working and powersharing working will be a joint arrangement between the Irish and the British state,” she said. “There should be no doubt on that score.”

Ms McDonald was speaking the day after Alliance leader Naomi Long said most people in NI would not accept direct rule from Westminster.

“I’m not sure direct rule is the next stage after the collapse of devolution, because I’m not sure direct rule would be acceptable to a majority of people in Northern Ireland,” said Ms Long.

“I’m not sure it fits in with the Anglo Irish Agreement, with the Good Friday Agreement and everything that has happened subsequently. So, I think we will be talking about a form of direct rule that would involve Irish participation and not just directly from Westminster.”

Asked, after her comments, about the potential for joint authority, Mr Beattie told PA News Agency: “I’m really concerned. If we look at the New Decade, New Approach document that got this government, the executive up and running again, that was a document which was penned by London and Dublin. So, they had equal say in getting this government up again.

“If we’re going to do this again, if people think there’s a utopia out there, that it’s just going to be a direct route from London, then they’re mistaken, they’re politically illiterate.”

A Sinn Féin spokesperson issued the following response to the LCC statement: "The LCC might make better use of its time if it focussed on bringing the existence of loyalist paramilitary groups, some of which are involved in murder, extortion, drug dealing and intimidation, to an end. It is almost 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement, these groups need to leave the stage and end their criminality and threats to our peace process."