Sinn Fein to Support SDLP Policing Agenda

Commenting on the decision by the leadership of Sinn Féin to seek party support for policing arrangements, North Antrim MLA Seán Farren said:

“After years of delay Sinn Féin is now going to give its support to a policing agenda shaped and developed to a considerable extent by the SDLP. No wonder many people are asking why we have had to wait so long for this support. Nothing new is happening in policing beyond what the Patten Committee recommended and the SDLP accepted five years ago.

“For its support Sinn Féin is getting no change to policing. In fact what it has achieved on MI5 is far short of what is needed. Making MI5 independent of the PSNI is no advance. What is needed is proper accountability from MI5, not independence for MI5 to do whatever it wants.

“By delaying the return of devolution Sinn Féin along with the DUP has put barriers in the way of reconciliation between our communities. They have also prevented economic and social reform and so have added to problems not helped to solve them.

“It will be in everyone’s interest if both Sinn Féin and the DUP can start putting people before party and can join with the rest of the parties in making the restoration of political institutions a situation where everybody begins to win.”