Sinn Fein
The Week in Review
07-14 August 2014

Gerry Adams warns: Political process in trouble
On 8 August Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams TD warned that the political process faced `its greatest challenge since the Good Friday Agreement negotiations in 1998.’
The Sinn Féin leader made the following points:

* The anti-Good Friday Agreement axis within unionism, the pro-unionist stance of the British secretary of state, the refusal of Downing St to honour its own obligations are combining to create the most serious threat to the political institutions in the north in recent years.

* Most worryingly there is no evidence from Downing Street or the NIO or the Unionist leaderships of any likelihood of a real negotiation on all of these issues commencing in September. This therefore presents a very significant challenge to everyone who wants to see progress and to all those who support the Good Friday and other agreements, this includes leaders of civic society, the community sector, the trade union movement, the business sector, as well as political parties.

* David Trimble in his day and Peter Robinson, despite some positive periods, have undermined their role as First Minister. Instead of actively and determinedly working with the Deputy First Minister to maximise the potential for a new beginning they have minimised the promise and potential of the Good Friday Agreement.

* The fact is that the anti-agreement axis has been very active in asserting a negative agenda. Too many in the pro-agreement axis, with some notable exceptions, have been passive. This includes the Irish government.

* The DUP has repeatedly demonstrated an unwillingness to participate positively in any of the institutions. Instead it has adopted a tactical approach aimed at serving the political agenda of a fundamentalist rump in their party rather than the needs of the whole community.

* As Martin McGuinness has noted ‘We are in government with unionists because we want to be. They are in government with us because they have to be.’ ”

* The Tory-led government in London wants to impose changes to the welfare benefits system mirroring similar changes that have been introduced in England, Scotland and Wales – changes that have resulted in disastrous consequences for the disabled, the unemployed and those in low-paid jobs.

* These should be opposed by a united Executive. These changes are not about reform. They are about cuts and they are part of a Thatcherite agenda designed to dismantle the welfare state. And Sinn Féin will oppose them.

* The effect of all of this and of the British government’s handling of the political situation has been to reinforce political logjams.

* The political process is in trouble.

* The British Secretary of State is contemplating conceding to another of the recent unionist demands by setting up some form of inquiry into the Parades Commission decision on the Ardoyne march – a move that would dangerously damage the integrity of the Parades Commission, undermine the residents and further undermine the Haass proposals.

* Regardless of political allegiance everyone who values a future based upon equality must become a champion for progress in their own community, in the workplace, in the voluntary and community sector, across the trade union movement, in the churches and the media.

* If the unionist leaderships refuse to engage positively in new negotiations then the Irish and British governments, as co-equal guarantors of the Agreement, must ensure that outstanding issues are implemented.

The full text of Mr Adams’ remarks.

Kelly urges unionists: return to party leaders’ talks
On 8 August Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly urged unionist parties to re-engage in party leaders talks deal with the issue of the legacy of the past, flags and parades.
Gerry Kelly was speaking after yesterday’s lockdown of Belfast City Centre during a loyalist protest at an anti-internment march and the impact on business in Belfast City Centre.
The North Belfast MLA pointed out that the Belfast Chamber of Commerce had called for political leadership to resolve the issues following yesterday’s parade and protest, and added `Sinn Féin remains ready and willing to resume the party leaders talks process on these contentious issues as soon as possible’.
He said that Sinn Fein had `urged unionists repeatedly to move away from their obsession with a small section of a single parade in North Belfast and re-engage in talks immediately on the issues of flags, parades and the past’.
He concluded by calling again `on unionists to demonstrate the sort of political leadership demanded both by local communities and the Belfast chamber of commerce.’

Welfare cuts will be `devastating’ on communities and economy
On 11 August Sinn Féin MLA Daithí McKay said unionist leaders should `tell the truth about welfare cuts. The North Antrim MLA said Unionist leaders `and their pro-austerity allies in the Alliance party’ had been `queuing up recently to tell us that Tory welfare cuts are unavoidable’.
However, he added `they have not explained to their voters and everyone else the effect that these devastating cuts would have on the most vulnerable in our society’. Instead they had `simply swallowed the justification given to them by the Tory government and they parrot the lines of millionaire cabinet ministers’.
Mr McKay said that the reality of the cuts would be `crippling… on individuals, on people in low-income jobs, on the disabled and on entire communities living in areas of high unemployment’.
He said the cuts would `punish the poor and the vulnerable and drive those already struggling on low incomes further into poverty’. He said no one had voted for this `unionist or nationalist’, adding `welfare cuts are not part of our Programme for Government’.
He challenged unionists `and those who support the Tory cuts agend’ to `explain to people struggling to get by in working-class areas the real impact of supporting a remote, unelected government of elites in London’.
He concluded `Growing numbers of people are starting to realise the true consequences welfare cuts will have and are looking for an alternative. Unionist leaders would be serving their electorate far better by uniting with those of us who are standing up for all communities, regardless of their political outlook, in resisting these savage cuts.’

Is Robinson’s vision for society dependence on food banks? – Sinn Fein
Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy said last week that Peter Robinson was continuing to `duck responsibility for the growing difficulties in the political process’.
He said Mr Robinson was `pandering to anti-agreement elements’ and supporting `anti-working class Tory cuts’, evidence that under Peter Robinson’s leadership, `unionism is moving steadily to the right’.
Mr Murphy said that Peter Robinson had `unilaterally walked away from commitments made in the Programme for Government’ and that `he and his party walked away from the Haass process’ and had `walked out of the talks on flags, parades and the past on the back of an Orange Order demand to parade through a Catholic area. That is the real measure of DUP politics’.
He added `Instead of all-party talks he has joined with anti-agreement unionists including the UVF, which has been orchestrating a campaign of sectarian and – increasingly _ racist attacks in East Belfast.’
Mr Murphy said this unionist shift to the right `is reflected also in their support for the anti-working class policies of the Tory party in London’, adding `Sinn Féin for our part makes no apology for opposing vicious Tory welfare cuts’.
He said that, if implemented `in the way the DUP want, these cuts would take money out of the pockets of the disabled, of parents with young children, of low paid workers and the unemployed’. As has already happened in Britain, he added, `these cuts would drive thousands of people into increased poverty and dependence on charities and food banks’. He added, `Is that Peter Robinson’s vision for our society?’
He concluded: `Peter Robinson needs to get back into talks to deal with the outstanding issues of the Good Friday Agreement and the Haass process. He needs to stand up for his constituents and he needs to stand up to the British government in resisting these Tory cuts.’
`Tackling racism and sectarianism, defending the poor and the vulnerable, building a process of reconciliation – these should be the priorities for Peter Robinson rather than the bizarre obsession with an Orange parade in North Belfast.’

Sinn Fein mobilise for national rally for Palestine
On 9 August Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Seán Crowe TD, attended the national demonstration for Palestine in Dublin today.
Speaking after the event Deputy Seán Crowe commended all of the people who `across the island came out in their thousands today to show solidarity with the besieged people of Gaza’.
He said that the large numbers in attendance `sent a clear message that Irish people will not stand idly by while Israel commits war crimes and exasperates the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens’. He added `five more Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza today and 2wo Palestinians died in clashes in the West Bank as tensions rise’. He concluded: `Although the peace talks in Egypt collapsed, there is still the potential for an inclusive peace process. We need to see an end to all hostilities Israel must immediately lift its illegal siege of Gaza for this to happen.’
Meanwhile, in London, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams sent a message of solidarity to the 150,000 strong march in support of Gaza and urging a just peace. Mr Adams said that Sinn fein `stand with the Palestinian people and for their right to live in peace, dignity and in a viable state’. He said that international pressure `can make a difference and commended all those in Ireland, Britain and around the world who had come out to show solidarity.

Week in Review will be taking a break over the Summer and will be back in September.

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“The Orange state was built on partition, unionist domination, inequality and injustice.
It was an apartheid state in which citizens were denied the right to a vote, to a job, to a fair justice system and to a home. The failure of unionism and of the British government to agree fundamental reform in the 1960s led to a militarisation of the situation and to decades of conflict.
20 years ago this month unionism responded in a similar vein in response to the unilateral initiative by the IRA to call a complete cessation. Ian Paisley claimed that unionists now faced the worst crisis in Ulster’s history. Jim Molyneaux said it was a de-stabilising move. In his view it was not an occasion for celebration, quite the opposite.
For both unionist leaders it was a threat to a status quo which favoured unionism.

Political process faces greatest challenge
Most worryingly there is no evidence from Downing Street or the NIO or the Unionist leaderships of any likelihood of a real negotiation on all of these issues commencing in September.
This therefore presents a very significant challenge to everyone who wants to see progress and to all those who support the Good Friday and other agreements. This includes leaders of civic society, the community sector, the trade union movement, the business sector, as well as political parties.
The fact is that the anti-agreement axis has been very active in asserting a negative agenda. Too many in the pro-agreement axis, with some notable exceptions have been passive. This includes the Irish government.
We are moving into another election cycle with the Westminster elections next May and Assembly elections the following year. Elections invariably see unionist leaders adopt ever more strident language and an unwillingness to find solutions to difficulties.
I believe that the political process faces its greatest challenge since the Good Friday Agreement negotiations in 1998.
I also believe that the vast majority of citizens value the political institutions.
Sinn Féin is committed to the Good Friday Agreement and to the political institutions.
We will resist all efforts by unionist leaders to roll the agreement back or return to the darker days of unionist misrule.
With a deepening political crisis there is an onus on the Irish and British governments to create a different paradigm, a different political context to that which currently exists.
That requires the two governments, in conjunction with the US government, establishing a pro-Agreement axis with those parties in the north that want the Good Friday Agreement to work.
It means the Irish and British governments making progress on those issues which are their direct responsibility.
It means the governments and pro-Agreement parties standing resolutely in support of the Agreement. This will require citizens from all sectors and none raising their voices for progress and positive change.
Regardless of political allegiance everyone who values a future based upon equality must become a champion for progress in their own community, in the workplace, in the voluntary and community sector, across the trade union movement, in the churches and the media.
If the unionist leaderships refuse to engage positively in new negotiations then the Irish and British governments, as co-equal guarantors of the Agreement, must ensure that outstanding issues are implemented.”