SDLP Slams Community Relations Strategy

A leading nationalist politician has attacked a newly published strategy that is supposed to combat sectarianism.

Commenting on the publication of a Shared Cohesion Strategy (CSI) by the First and Deputy First Ministers, the SDLP's Alex Attwood (pictured) said the announcement must not be a "carrot" for the Alliance Party to prompt the nomination of their leader, David Ford as the Justice Minister.

Two years behind schedule, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness have agreed a new blueprint for fighting sectarianism in NI which they announced on Tuesday.

The community relations strategy formed part of the discussions around the policing and justice deal in NI.

The Alliance Party, who were concerned the issue had not been addressed, have welcomed the move.

Alliance Party leader David Ford said the announcement was a "positive step forward for Northern Ireland".

"Alliance looks forward to examining this document in detail," he said. "A document is only a start. What matters is delivery and Alliance will be holding the first and deputy first ministers, and in fact the entire Executive, to account on how well they deliver."

However, while SDLP MLA Alex Attwood said he welcomed "any progress made to create a shared society, promoting good relations and deepening understanding between communities", he said the announcement "must not be a carrot for the Alliance Party to nominate David Ford as the Justice Minister".

"There is, of course, the danger that in final analysis, the CSI strategy is to be protected in order to go through the fiction of satisfying the Alliance Party and David Ford in particular, with the issue of shared societies being addressed at his satisfaction in order for him to consent to his name going forward for the justice ministry.

"The CSI strategy is needed because Northern Ireland's society needs robust, vigorous and expansive CSI agenda," he continued.

"The strategy must be the right strategy not a device for the DUP, Sinn Fein and Alliance to collude together to exclude a nationalist from the Justice Ministry and for David Ford to have a threshold to participate in the exclusion of a nationalist minister.

"The community will see through this if that is the primary motivation of this CSI strategy," he said.

Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott has also criticised the CSI saying that the delay in bringing forward the plan was "another example of Executive dysfunctionality".

(BMcC/GK)