Allister frightened of exposure

The Unelected Voice, Jim Allister seeks to deny every household in Northern Ireland a copy of the Hillsborough Castle Agreement. He condemns the agreement and claims he is fully opposed to it.

Commenting the First Minister Rt. Hon. Peter Robinson MP said,

“Jim Allister tells us he is opposed to the devolution of policing and justice powers. This is a somersault on his previous position. As a DUP Party Officer he helped to write the 2007 DUP Assembly Manifesto which detailed that the party was in favour of the devolution of those powers.

That manifesto which Jim Allister co-authored said:

“....We support the devolution of policing and justice functions, we believe this can only happen when there is the necessary support within the community…We have ensured that we will determine when policing and justice functions are devolved and can block a Sinn Fein Minister from holding the post.”

- DUP Manifesto, 2007

In addition to writing a manifesto supporting the devolution of policing and justice, Mr. Allister travelled around Northern Ireland singing its praises and knocked doors asking people to vote for it.

He wrote it. He campaigned for it. He asked people to vote for it. Now he says he’s against it. What does that say about his principles? Jim, not the DUP, walked away. The sad reality is that Jim Allister will oppose anything the DUP delivers because it is the DUP that delivers it.

Jim Allister appears terrified by the prospect of the public having free access to the Hillsborough Castle Agreement. After all, if people sit down and read the agreement, they will see just how baseless the TUV allegations actually are.

It is grossly undemocratic of Jim Allister to seek to deny the people of Northern Ireland the right to access information that would enable them to make an informed decision. We are happy to listen to the views of the people. Jim Allister is trying to ensure that his is the only voice heard.”

Uni Of Ulster DUP Association Fully Supports Hillsborough Castle Agreement

The University of Ulster DUP Association met on Monday and unanimously supported the new Hillsborough Castle agreement in an association vote on the matter. At the meeting, the association also agreed to highlight a few key matters of interest.

.There will ne NO new North South bodies
.There will be NO SF minister for Policing and Justice
.There will be NO Irish Language Act
.Outstanding issues such as education WILL be addressed, and the overall working of government will be improved.
.There will be no jumping ahead - parades will be completed in the same way as policing.
.As part of the DUP consultation, the UUP will be required to support the transfer of powers.

The Unelected Voice; Jim Allister, who seeks to split Unionist votes from the outside and who condemns this agreement , FULLY supported the P&J commitment in the 2007 DUP mannifesto.

Our association fully supports the DUP's stance on the new arrangements, and we believe that the deal is in the interests of all the people of Northern Ireland.

First Minister: "Law and Order Powers coming home"

Below is a piece written by First Minister Peter Robinson MP MLA. Mr Robinson said,

"The DUP made clear it would only do a deal if it was the right deal. After months of discussions we eventually achieved the progress we needed. As we have always outlined, there will now be a period of public consultation on the agreement.

What we have is a fair deal and I urge all Unionists to consider it fully and not fall for the hysterical raving of unionists spinning a Sinn Fein agenda who deep down know much better.

It won’t have escaped people that the spokesman selling the Sinn Fein message with the most relish yesterday was Jim Allister. The same Jim Allister who helped write the DUP manifesto commitment on policing and justice which this agreement fulfils.

We have delivered a new start for parading. This will be the last year of the Parades Commission. I welcome the positive initial reaction from the Loyal Orders as we seek to resolve the parading issue.

Throughout my time in politics I have always believed in Unionists working more closely together. I know Reg Empey and his party have a valuable contribution to make and want to explore ways in which we can make the Executive work better.

Devolution of policing and justice powers will occur on Unionist terms. There will be no Sinn Fein Justice Minister. Unionists have a veto on who will hold this post. The appointment of the judiciary will be free from political interference. No politician will have any role in the appointment of judges. This is a lie peddled by the TUV that has no basis in fact.

We have secured a sound financial settlement of over £800 million to underpin the police and judicial system. Money has been guaranteed for any additional security pressures that may develop. The Chief Constable has indicated that without this financial settlement, the police budget would have £68 million less next year. This is the equivalent of 1,200 police officers having to be sacked.

We have delivered £20 million package for those officers who served as part-time policemen during the most difficult policing period in NI’s history.

We have a manifesto commitment against the introduction of an Irish Language Act. This was due to be introduced by Direct Rule. There will be no Irish language Act.

The DUP made Personal Protection Weapons an issue with the Chief Constable and the Secretary of State. Appeals are now being positively examined and PPWs are being issued. The Security Minister has indicated that in the last month a large number of appeals have been successful. This new approach will ensure that many of those who faced losing their PPWs will have their licences restored.

Yesterday was a good day for Unionism which will further cement Ulster’s place within the United Kingdom."

The completion of Devolution & a new start for parading

DUP Leader and First Minister, Rt Hon Peter Robinson MP, today said,

"This is a good day for Northern Ireland. The agreement we have reached today secures the progress that we have made in recent years and keeps Northern Ireland moving forward to a better future.

No future generation would forgive us for squandering the peace that has been so long fought for. Today’s agreement is the surest sign that there will be no going back to the past.

I believe that we have taken a considerable step to secure the prize of a stable and peaceful Northern Ireland. With this agreement I believe that we have laid the foundations for a better future for us all.

Too often we can forget how far we have come in recent years. Today we take for granted the progress that we have made and the relative peace that we have secured. But we can not be complacent.

No sane person wants to go back to the carnage and violence that we have endured for the last generation.

In the next few weeks we will take this agreement to the people of Northern Ireland. We will ask the to endorse the agreement that has been reached today and to take a considerable step forward.

With the necessary community confidence and the faithful implementation of this agreement we will move to agree the devolution of policing and justice on 9th March.

This agreement provides for the completion of devolution and a new start for parading. It will mean a new start for Executive business and a refocusing on the issues that matter to the people of Northern Ireland. And it will mean that the police will have the resources to deal with the challenges that they face.

For too long we have been distracted and diverted by the issue of Policing and Justice. Today is the not just the end of one phase but the beginning of another where we must work to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.

I do not pretend that this agreement has been easy to reach. Compromises did not come quickly or easily. It has been hard fought on all sides but will be all the more secure for the time that has been invested in it.

Politics is not a spectator sport. This has not been a pretty process. But through the last few weeks the real story is that this is a sign of politics working.

We have faced many difficulties and challenges but this agreement is the surest sign that we are not going back to the bad old days of the past.

Sometimes through painful experience we have learnt many lessons over the last few years. There are some who will play politics with this agreement; that is understandable but the real focus in the months to come must be to build an administration at Stormont that all can identify with and support.

I think that I can speak with some certainty when I say that in coming to this agreement we have not been rushed. I am grateful for the role that the Prime Minister and Secretary of State have played in recent weeks. I am also grateful for the contribution that the Taiseach and the Irish Foreign Minister have played.

This negotiation has been a marathon not a sprint. But I believe that the agreement will be more enduring and secure because of it. I also believe that it is stronger because it has been made in Ulster. While we have had assistance from outside it is local people that made this agreement and will make it work.

We have tested the endurance of the Governments over the last few weeks and once or twice we may have tested their patience as well.

It is almost forty years since the people of Northern Ireland had responsibility for our own policing and justice powers. This agreement provides the potential that in just a few months time we will once again take responsibility for these key powers. This agreement ensures that as a society we continue to move forward to a better future.

I believe that this agreement lays the foundation for a better future for everyone in Northern Ireland and will secure the Assembly for decades to come."