On Monday, September 1st 2008, Mark Durkan told us that: “We in the SDLP have no selfish interest for seeking this Ministry (Policing and Justice) but we have every reason to seek and strengthen the Agreement and its power-sharing protections.”

By Friday September 5th he argued that the time had now come to bring an end to those same power-sharing protections.

The SDLP tell us that it is the party of civil rights and power-sharing, and the following words have been used in recent times by their spokespersons to substantiate that claim.

Patsy McGlone on May 11th 2008: “The SDLP has always been an advocate of power-sharing and All-Ireland co-operation. We are glad to see the parties who once undermined these principles are now embracing and practicing them.”

Tommy Gallagher on March 13 2008: “We want to see local power-sharing enshrined in legislation and we want the Executive to legislate explicit minority protections.”

Alban Maginnis on August 24th 2007: “A shared future means genuine sharing of power.”

In an Assembly debate before the Summer recess Alex Attwood told us: “As a party who has always advocated power-sharing, it gives the SDLP some satisfaction to see the parties that most strongly oppose it now challenged to embrace it.”

Lest we believe that these were words of individual members and not reflective of party policy, the SDLP website informs us under the title of ‘Major Achievements’: “More than any other party the principles of the Good Friday Agreement are the principles championed by the SDLP for over 30 years – power sharing, equality, human rights, North/South co-operation, East/West links. That is why we will not renegotiate the Good Friday Agreement.

We will not weaken its protections. For the SDLP, the Agreement is a covenant of honour between two legitimate traditions on this island. We believe that its principles and provisions must prevail for all . . .”

Oh, a week can be a long time in politics, particularly if your politics are weak.



Is mise,

Raymond McCartney, MLA