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THE POLITICAL VACUUM in Northern Ireland is not to blame for an increased threat from dissident republicans, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has said.
The PSNI has warned of the potential of dissidents launching attacks on their officers in Derry on Easter Monday.
But Donaldson said the idea that the collapse of the powersharing institutions had fuelled violence “doesn’t stack up”.
“While Stormont was sitting for many years these dissident republicans engaged in violence, they murdered police officers,” he told BBC Radio Four.
The DUP leader added: “I remember during one sitting of the Assembly they murdered two soldiers in Co Antrim as they were preparing for deployment to Afghanistan.
“Of course we want to see Stormont fully functioning, but the idea that when we get Stormont back up and running, that dissident republicans will put their guns away, I didn’t hear the Chief Constable (Simon Byrne) suggest that.
“The idea that evil men and women who go out to commit murder react to political circumstances simply doesn’t stack up.
“Some of the Chief Constable’s police officers have been murdered by these dissident republicans while Stormont has been sitting and indeed they have murdered other people and they have continued with their terrorist activity during all of the period that Stormont was sitting.
“All of the party leaders have stood together in solidarity with the Chief Constable when these attacks have taken place.”
MI5 recently raised the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland to severe, meaning an attack is highly likely.
This followed the gun attack on senior detective John Caldwell in Co Tyrone, who has been left with life-changing injuries.
Police have blamed the New IRA for the attack.
Byrne said that more officers would be moved to frontline duties to counter any potential threats.
The DUP has withdrawn its support for the powersharing institutions as part of its protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements.
Earlier this year, the UK Government and EU unveiled the Windsor Framework to mitigate some of the trading difficulties which had been caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol.
While the DUP says the framework has gone some way to address its concerns, it feels some significant problems remain and has made clear its boycott will continue until it secures further assurances.
Donaldson said his party would be considering a report within the next few days from a consultative panel he established on the framework.
He said: “It was in Washington that I gave the response, I indicated that there were a number of major areas of concern that we had about the Windsor Framework, that we were engaged in a consultation process.
“We consult with our people, we talk to our people, we listen to their views.
“I now have the report from our consultation panel.
“They have consulted widely with business, with people in the community, we have got that report.
“We will consider that report in the next few days and then we will go to the Government with the outcome of our consultation and we will press the government on the need to bring forward the legislation they have promised to protect Northern Ireland’s ability to trade within the United Kingdom and to restore our place within the UK.
“That is the key to unlocking the door to Stormont.”
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It sure as heck ain’t helping matters. Not forming a government is promoting divide in NI and that will definitely push folk into drastic actions.
Love the way the DUP bury their heads in the sand over everything. Nothing is ever their fault always other parties the British Government the Irish Government the GFA, Brexit or EU. Total spineless lot the lot of them.
@Mick McGuinness: While loving a Dutch man, who became their king and was as European as you can get.
DUP , happy to be still living in 1690 .
Genuine question, what do these so called “ dissidents” think they’ll achieve by shooting police officers? It’s genuinely baffling if they think it will somehow aid their political goals.
@Michael OKelly: Yet its clear as day from the local news headlines that although British intelligence is pointing the finger at the so called New IRA the PSNI are arresting former loyalist paramilitaries and protestants from the Shankill road in connection to his attempted murder.
@Thomas Barber: Dissident republicans/Loyalist paramilitaries. Names used to give gangland drug cartels some semblance of legitimacy amongst their own communities.
@Michael OKelly: Well it hasn’t done SF any harm (although that could be down to the incompetence of FFG)
The cowardly blame game continues with a familiar stench of hypocrisy, Children of the North deserve better
It’s sad to think that toxic bigots like the DUP are still given a platform. The people of northern Ireland deserve better. It’s unbelievable how the unionist community are allowing them to destroy what’s left of their brand.
DUP just saying No again.
Very naive of him to think it’s not playing a significant part. Then again it’s hard to know what goes on in the minds of the DUP’s finest!!
Can’t they migrate back to where they come from?
Dinosaurs Utterly Para sitic
Jeffrey said NO to the GFA 25 years ago and is still saying NO today. Nothing changes with him and the DUP.
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Donaldson could well be right, the antics of the PSNI may well a case of the mask slipping. Hope they are not generating an excuse to behave heavy-handedly over the next few days.
Jeffery has a wonderful halo over his head in the pic. He’s positively angelic.
That’s a very fetching hat wee Jeffrey is wearing. I’d love to know who his milliner is.
@Kris Bopp: but he still doesn’t see the light!
All related to the UK recent trade deal with CPTPP. These terrorists not happy with cheap imports to UK of genetically modified growth hormone meat and pesticides in food making its way into NI no less
Tells you all you need to know about the DUP. They either don’t know or deny that the lack of political leadership and representation allows a vacuum to form. Crikey.
They need to wake up and face reality….the reason there has been peace on thus island for rhe last 25 years is due to Stormont and the Good Friday agreement and they need to learn that they don’t get to play top dog the whole time. It’s called democracy.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the terror threat was a political hoax from the dup UK government to keep people off the subject of actual doing their jobs and running the country ,, keep the people divided is all these lot are gd at
@Stephen Flood: well we know the DUP consult with certain people on a regular basis to get permission for stuff
Do we believe this though? Pretty handy in the current impasse
UK should grow a pair, start talking to ROI about handing NI back and see what wee jeff does then. It might inspire him, to get back to work and shut up?
@Emmet Murphy: The Northern Ireland Act 1998 provides that Northern Ireland will remain within the United Kingdom unless a majority of the people of Northern Ireland vote to form part of a united Ireland.
DUP Motto, whatever it is we’re against it!!
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