Villiers involvement unhelpful, partisan and provocative – Ní Chuilín
In an opinion piece in this morning’s Irish News, Sinn Féin MLA and Minister for Culture, Arts & Leisure Carál Ní Chuilín slams British Secretary Teresa Villiers for her partisan and unhelpful involvement in local politics.
The North Belfast MLA said that while the British Government had adopted a disengagement attitude to the Peace Process, the British Secretary of State had sought to involve herself in an unhelpful way in the flags issue, parading and in dealing with the past.
Carál Ní Chuilín said:
“ A benign interpretation of her remarks could be nothing more than the careless consequence of an administration and NIO, which has chosen to step back from its co-equal responsibility for guaranteeing the Peace and Political Processes.
“However, I don’t accept the benign in this instance. The alternative is that her interventions represent a policy change with regard to stewardship of the Process.
“Her recent political interventions have been partisan, provocative and unhelpful. They represent a calculated attempt by the NIO to set the parameters and influence the outcome of the Haas talks to favour a unionist bias. This is unacceptable.”
The Sinn Féin MLA also said that Teresa Villiers had been silent when it came to the Orange Orders insistence to parade at Ardoyne and at the same time attempted to exonerate British State forces from their role in the conflict.
Ms Ní Chuilín said:
“I know what it is like to live and work in an area picking up the pieces from the Orange marching season and the on-going loyalist agitation on the interface at Ardoyne. And this community knows very well the impact of the actions of those who were charged with the responsibility of ‘upholding the law’ during the conflict
“She has also directly interfered in the work of my own Department by attempting to use court injunctions to prevent the release of inquest papers to bereaved families.
“The British Government needs to clarify whether its priorities have shifted from entrenching Agreements, to acquiescing to extreme right wing unionism.” CRÍOCH/END
*Below is the full text of Carál Ní Chuilín’s article:
“The present difficulties in our Peace Process sit against a backdrop of British government disengagement over an extended period.
Ironically in recent times Theresa Villiers
has sought to involve herself in the flags issue, parading and in dealing with the
past. Her interventions have been as unhelpful as they have been
partisan.
A benign interpretation of her remarks could be nothing more than the
careless consequence of an administration and NIO, which has chosen to step
back from its co-equal responsibility for guaranteeing the Peace and Political
Processes.
However, I don’t accept the benign in this instance.
The alternative is that her interventions represent a policy change with regard
to stewardship of the Process. If that is the case then she should come
clean, and make that explicit. Then we will all know where we stand.
Her recent political interventions have been partisan, provocative and
unhelpful. They represent a calculated attempt by the NIO to set the
parameters and influence the outcome of the Haas talks to favour a unionist
bias. This is unacceptable.
It may be too much to expect Theresa Villiers to take a leaf out of the book of
Mo Mowlam, the only other woman to hold the position of British Secretary of
State.
During her tenure at the NIO, Mo Mowlam built her reputation on her
non-partisan approach and her commitment to inclusivity.
Not so Theresa Villiers. Following nine months of countless, and often
illegal, demonstrations by unionists against a democratic decision by Belfast
City Council on the flying of the Union Flag over City Hall, and after the
disgraceful scenes as loyalist bands blatantly breached Parades Commission
determinations, playing music outside St. Patrick’s Church and after the
violence of the Orange Order in Ardoyne, Theresa Villiers felt the need to politically
‘intervene’.
She told republicans to call off a peaceful commemoration in Tyrone,
apologised for not being ‘tougher’ a year ago in response to a query about
the naming of a park after Raymond McCreesh. She has also directly
interfered in the work of my own Department by attempting to use court
injunctions to prevent the release of inquest papers to bereaved families.
Like everyone, she is entitled to her views. But that doesn’t make them acceptable.
She is not entitled to lecture republicans on the need for sensitivity when
planning a commemorative march in Tyrone and yet have nothing to say about the
impact on the community of the insistence by the Orange Order to parade at
Ardoyne.
At the British Irish Association in Cambridge she asserted that any agreement
on flags and parades, which might emerge from the Haas talks would require
approval of her government. Then in a telling addendum, crudely she
attempted to exonerate British State forces from their role in the conflict
insisting that those who upheld the law can never be put at the same level as
those who opposed it.
I represent the community of North Belfast. I know what this community
has endured during the conflict. I know what it is like to live and work
in an area picking up the pieces from the Orange marching season and the
on-going loyalist agitation on the interface at Ardoyne. And this
community knows very well the impact of the actions of those who were charged
with the responsibility of ‘upholding the law’ during the conflict
The British government and its agencies were party to and participants in
the conflict, Theresa, they were not bystanders! Throughout the conflict
they organised, armed and directed the UDA and UVF in their murder campaigns
against Catholics, Nationalists and Republicans. Dealing with the past includes
addressing that reality.
The Haas talks will present another opportunity to resolve some very difficult
issues. This is a huge challenge to us all. We need to approach these
talks with an open mind and in listening mode,
Standing faithfully by agreements that have been made, as Theresa Villiers
claims her Government intends to do, requires equality, mutual respect and
parity of esteem for all. Regrettably, we see no evidence to this effect from
either her or her government.
Nevertheless, if we could agree these as underpinning principles for the
all-party talks, we could be more confident of success than ever before.
In the meantime the British Government needs to clarify whether its
priorities have shifted from entrenching Agreements, to acquiescing to extreme
right wing unionism.
Theresa Villiers could usefully address that key question when she next decides
to make a political intervention.” CRÍOCH/END