Irish and British governments should stand up to ‘negative anti-Agreement axis’

DURING his opening address to Sinn Féin’s all-Ireland strategy ‘think-in’ in Termonfeckin, County Louth, Gerry Adams said about he political situation in the Six Counties, Sinn Féin is open to negotiations but will defend the power-sharing institutions and press the British and Irish governments to implement their commitments under the Good Friday Agreement.

First Minister Peter Robinson did a ‘solo run’ in the Belfast Telegraph this week in an article by himself saying that the power-sharing arrangements in the North “are no longer fit for purpose” – and citing Sinn Féin’s opposition to the Tory-led welfare cuts.

Gerry Adams said he wanted to be clear:

“Sinn Féin is opposed to Toryism, North and South. We are against austerity from David Cameron as much as we are against austerity from Enda Kenny and Joan Burton. This has nothing to do with electoralism or a failure to take difficult decisions,” he said, pointing out to some media commentators:

“Martin McGuinness has shown the way to put the common good before personal or political interest.”

●  Martin McGuinness MLA and Pearse Doherty TD at the Termonfeckin think-in

Gerry Adams continued:

“A negative political axis is currently seeking to undermine the Good Friday Agreement and to turn back the clock on all the progress that has been made in recent years.

“The leaders of political unionism walked away from the Haass/O’Sullivan talks, just as they walked away from the all-party talks on parading, identity and the past.

“We now have the ludicrous position of unionist leaders, who repeatedly walked away from talks, asking for new talks!

“Unionist political leaders may hanker after a return to majority rule in the North but that is never, ever going to happen. The Orange state is gone forever.

“However, rather than seek to bring them to their senses, the British Government’s interventions to date have merely encouraged unionist intransigence.

“Sinn Féin is open to negotiations and dialogue and we have been very clear that the Irish and British governments and the US administration should be involved.”

He continued:

“In the period ahead, Sinn Féin will seek to consolidate the political process in the North and press the British and Irish governments to implement their commitments under the Good Friday and subsequent Agreements and stand up to those who seek to undermine the political institutions and the progress made over many years.”