Sinn Fein MLA Raymond McCartney.
Sinn Fein remains 100 per cent committed to the political institutions set up under the Good Friday Agreement, the party’s Derry MLA Raymond McCartney has said.
Mr McCartney said Sinn Fein was “totally opposed” to direct rule and the “whole notion of the Assembly being suspended for a “devolution holiday” was “frankly insulting” to the people who them.
Mr McCartney said: “We have consistently called for all-party negotiations to tackle the logjam in the political process.
“Martin McGuinness has called for a lifting of the penalties being imposed by Tory millionaires to allow negotiations to proceed in a constructive manner.
“Sinn Féin has also been lobbying for increased powers to be transferred to the Assembly and the all-island bodies.
“The whole notion of the Assembly being suspended for a ‘devolution holiday’ is frankly insulting to the people who elect us.
“Sinn Féin is totally opposed to direct rule in any form.”
Mr McCartney challenged “any politician” to highlight the benefits British direct rule ministers had brought to the North of Ireland.
He added: “And given that the Tory government in London is driving millions of people further into poverty who would seriously want to hand them over the reins of power?”
Mr McCartney concluded: “I challenge those who are semi-detached from responsibility and engaged in backroom briefing to work directly with Sinn Féin and other parties rather than being engaged in the sound-bite politics of despair.”
Tags: