According to the reports about the memoirs of Tony's Blair former Number 10 aide Jonathan Powell, in 2006 Provisional Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams rang the then British Prime Minister to "express solidarity" over the latter's cash-for-questions problems. According to Powell, Adams rang Blair and amongst other things had the craic about the PIRA's campaign. The bearded one then, it is claimed, suggested to Powell that he and Blair should "seek political status" if they were arrested, and refuse to recognise the court.Oh dear. The reputed leader of the republican movement joking with the British Prime Minister, a man who has been known to hold his predecessor Margaret Thatcher in high esteem, about the key issue that inspired ten PIRA and INLA men to starve themselves to death is quite...
In
SDLP,
Gerry Adams,
Sinn Féin,
Ard Fheis,
British Government,
Northern Ireland Assembly,
Tony Blair,
Little Room: Making Peace in Northern Ireland,
Great Hatred,
Seamus Mallon,
Jonathan Powell
Despite managing to steer the policing ard fheis in their favour, it seems that Adams and McGuinness are not completely free from discontent within the Sinn Féin ranks regarding the party's policing position. Apart from those dissident republicans who are running against the provos in the forthcoming elections, it seems some inside the party are not happy. The clár for this week's standard ard fheis in Dublin reveals a number of motions displaying anger at the current pro-PSNI position:- This Ard Fheis resolves that any Six County police force is unacceptable and Sinn Féin willwithhold support for any policing arrangements in the Six Counties until there is a united, free and independent Ireland.Clonoe Martyrs Cumann, CoalislandLeinster Ógra Cúige- This Ard Fheis calls on the party...
So finally, after great drama and much wooing of the rank-and-file of the party by its leadership, Sinn Féin has finally bitten the bullet (no pun intended) and apparently agreed to engage in the Patten structures and support policing. Of course, this was done purely for political purposes as Adams and McGuinness realised that they were badly lagging behind the progressive position of nationalist Ireland. It must be realised that joining the Policing Board and District Policing Partnerships does not mean congratulating the police at every opportunity regardless of their performance- we'll leave that blinkered fawning for unionist politicians looking back through rose, white and blue tinted spectacles at their beloved but deceased RUC- but rather it means supporting the elements of...