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Has peace in Northern Ireland moved a step closer this Christmas season?

By
NIALL O'DOWD,
IrishCentral.com Publisher

Published Saturday, December 26, 2009, 7:19 AM
Updated Sunday, December 27, 2009, 7:34 PM

 

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Peter Robinson's statement gives a tantalizing clue about his position towards McGuinness.
Peter Robinson's statement gives a tantalizing clue about his position towards McGuinness.

Is Peter Robinson serious this time in his Christmas message that he does not want Northern Ireland ruled from London?

As the political crisis over the devolving of policing and justice continues, Robinson has once again played the conciliatory card.

Robinson stated, "I do not pretend that the government we have at Stormont is perfect – no government is – but it is infinitely more preferable to the only alternative: direct rule, with no say for local people in how we are governed. I have no desire to see the country I love relegated to the status of a colony and presided over by a series of here-today-gone-tomorrow direct rulers, Tory or Labour."

Amazingly it is a statement that could have been written by any nationalist leader of the past 30 years and shows how close both sides have become in their outlook of what is best for Northern Ireland .

Yet there is no certainty that Robinson intends to follow up and try and heal the rift between himself and Martin McGuinness on the key issues.

There is a tantalizing clue however, in other comments he made in his statement, where he gives McGuinness a major backhanded compliment for speaking out against the killing of two British soldiers earlier this year.

"The universal reaction of all right-thinking people in our community, including some who had previously refused to condemn such barbarity, showed us that such wreckers will not succeed. Devolved government in its current form might not be the ideal, but it is the best way to make a success of our province."

If Robinson can only see that what McGuinness did then is what is required of him now. The single act of bravery led to a complete rethink on the part of many unionists about McGuinness. It showed up in a recent opinion poll where McGuinness had significant support on the unionist side.

Robinson needs to grasp that same nettle now and do the right thing by the devolved government he leads in Northern Ireland. The American trips, the chats with Gordon Brown, the access to Dublin at the highest level, are all predicated on a good faith effort to make the process work. They will not continue forever unless political courage is shown. There are many in America who are already dismissive of Robonson as another David Trimble, unable to deliver.

Robinson has been wavering on that point for several months now. It is time to come off the fence and deliver on the program for government.

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3 Comments

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Posted by carrickcourt on Dec 28, 2009, 09:03 AM EST
"Can't we all just get along", in the words of an African-American who was the "source" of riots in Los Angeles, California, USA a few years ago now. I think there is hope for this in the North but it will take a long while for the communities there to get over their past history of mistrust.
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Posted by plasticpaddy on Dec 26, 2009, 10:04 AM EST
Commending someone who did wrong and is now doing the right thing is not something that needs to be criticised.
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Posted by kickstar on Dec 26, 2009, 08:18 AM EST
"Amazingly it is a statement that could have been written by any nationalist leader" Northern Ireland was ruled for 50 years before in the interests of justice it was decided to introduce direct Rule from Westminster.Because the Unionists Majority were so Bigoted and Discriminatory that they could not be trusted to deliver unbiased Government, So Nial your assertion that Robinson somehow has had a Road to Damascus sea change to his thinking could not be further from the truth, The Ulster Unionists have always been opposed to Direct Rule,The "no say for local people in how we are governed". Do you need me to tell you How we were Governed when "The local people" he refers to had their full say??. I have Noticed how quickly certain people in the Republic of Ireland are very prone to congratulate and commend Unionist politicians for doing something that was the Right thing to be done anyway, if justice was to be served. I have never understood how mealy mouthed some get in the presence of Unionists Especially Bigots like Robinson.
 


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