DUP fail to oust Sinn Féin from Assembly

An attempt by hard-line unionists to oust Sinn Féin from operating within the Northern Ireland Executive has failed through lack of cross-community support.

Tabled by the DUP’s Ian Paisley and William McCrea, United Unionist Denis Watson and UK Unionist Robert McCartney, the motion stated that Sinn Fein should be excluded because of the IRA's retention of its weaponry.

Thirty anti-Agreement unionists supported the motion to expel Sinn Féin, citing alleged links to the IRA. Just three nationalists entered the Assembly chamber to vote against, while the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) abstained.

DUP MP for north Belfast Nigel Dodds said the result proved that an overwhelming majority of unionists wanted Sinn Féin out. He urged Stormont Speaker Lord Alderdice to bring the matter to the British Prime Minister.

But Lord Alderdice pointed out that the motion had related to matters within the Assembly, which were not the responsibility of Mr Blair.

The UUP dismissed the motion as a "political stunt" timed to embarrass the party ahead of the UUP AGM to be held on Saturday.

In a statement the party said they were treating the motion with “ a sense of scepticism”. They said: “This party sends its Assembly members to Stormont, which it says it hates, yet it takes the money, the expenses, the kudos, the cars and then fraudulently tells its supporters that the Assembly and the Executive are political failures. This party that is committed to smashing Sinn Féin yet it allows its members to sit and work alongside Republicans.”

All assembly members of Sinn Féin were absent with president Gerry Adams and other leading members of the party in Dublin attending a party executive meeting. (AMcE)