Robinson And McGuinness Join Forces To Push Hillsborough Deal

Northern First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have told an Assembly committee they are focused on delivering on the promises of the Hillsborough deal.

Mr Robinson and Mr McGuinness faced the assembly and executive review committee on Thursday afternoon to spell out how the devolution of policing and justice powers will actually work.

Mr Robinson warned members that if all Stormont's politicians did not get behind the deal and sell it to the wider community, it could fail.

The two leaders were also critical of the attitude of the SDLP and the UUP, urging them to back the policing and parades agreement.

Mr McGuinness said: "There is overwhelming support, I believe, despite the protestations of the SDLP. People want to see us press on."

He added: "We are very conscious of the need to have an inclusive process, but it requires others to want to be included. And I think that is the key point as we move forward."

Mr McGuinness, who had previously blamed Mr Robinson for the pair's poor working relationship, indicated that a new beginning had been made at Hillsborough.

"Peter and I are prepared to work together. We have had difficulties in the past. As far as I am concerned they are in the past."

Mr Robinson said: "We would be the first to put our hands up and say the issue of policing and justice has been toxic in OFMDFM (the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister).  It has held back a lot of other work."

All parties in the Executive would, he said, be privy to the conclusions of a working group due to report within days on a new system for securing local accommodation on contentious parades.

Mr Robinson said in a series of internal meetings around the North he found strong DUP support for the deal.

He reserved his sharpest criticism for the Traditional Unionist Voice and its leader Jim Allister, who has promised to eat into the DUP support base in the election.

Mr Allister, who announced his intention to stand in Ian Paisley's North Antrim heartland in the general election, has branded the Hillsborough deal as a sell-out by the DUP.

The First Minister said: "I believe that the commander in chief of the dissident unionists has been unable to land a glove on us on this issue.  I think that people, quite frankly, are tired of him and they recognise he has nothing to offer and nowhere to take them."

But Mr Allister promised to challenge the DUP on its partnership with Sinn Féin.

The TUV leader said: "Of course this campaign will be about the big political issues of the day, including the DUP's roll-over at Hillsborough and Ian Paisley's bequeathing terrorist-inclusive government to Northern Ireland, but it will also be about the very important matter of restoring to North Antrim present and effective representation in the House of Commons, not least on the bread and butter issues needing attention in this constituency in these hard economic times."