DEVOLUTION: BROWN CORRE A BELFAST IN SOCCORSO
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Gordon Brown è arrivato questa mattina a Belfast per cercare di sciogliere il gelo nei rapporti tra Martin McGuinness e Peter Robinson
Il primo ministro inglese Gordon Brown è arrivato a Stormont scortato da un convoglio di auto che lo ho accompagnata partendo dal Belfast City Airport.
Al centro del suo viaggio il tentativo di districare i rapporti tra i due leaders al governo, Martin McGuinness e Peter Robinson.
L’unico punto fermo è la volonta di giungere al trasferimento dei poteri di polizia giustizia, il disaccordo nasce sui tempi entro i quali questo debba avvenire.
Il Sinn Fein è dell’opinione che la devolution avrebbe dovuto verificarsi già mesi fa; il DUP invece insiste che non approverà il trasferimento di poteri fino a quando non verrà predisposto un adeguato finanziamento a sostegno del nuovo dipartimento di giustizia.
Il maggiore partito repubblicano non nega l’importanza del finanziamento, ma ha espresso il timore che il Democratic Unionist Party si stia nascondendo dietro a questo scudo per il semplice fatto di voler prender tempo a causa di elementi estremisti nelle file del partito.
Peter Robinson sostiene che oltre al finanziamento sia necessario il raggiungimento di un sufficiente livello di fiducia all’interno della comunità unionista.
L’ordine del giorno di Brown prevede anche un briefing con il neo Chief Constable della PSNI Matt Baggott, per ottenere ragguagli sulle attuali minacce dissidenti.
Update!
…si riparte da Downing Street.
Al termine dell’incontro di oggi a Stormont tra Gordon Brown ed i leaders di governo nordirlandesi, si è appreso che Martin McGuinness e Peter Robinson faranno ritorno a Downing Street nelle prossime settimane per avviare una nuova tornata di colloqui.
Il punto di vista sulla devolution di David Cameron, leader conservatore, rilasciato ai microfoni di U TV
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Brown at Stormont for crunch talks (U TV)
Gordon Brown has flown into Northern Ireland as efforts to break the political impasse over policing and justice intensify.
The Prime Minister travelled to Stormont in a convoy of vehicles from Belfast City Airport and will hold talks with party leaders including DUP First Minister Peter Robinson and Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, as well as the police commander.
While the two main parties in the region’s power-sharing executive both support the transfer of law and order responsibilities from Westminster to Belfast, they are at odds over the timing of the move.
Sinn Fein claims it should have happened months ago, but the DUP says it will not approve devolution until the Treasury stumps up an appropriate cash package – thought to be in the region of £600m – to support the region’s new justice department.
The level of financial settlement the PM is prepared to offer is sure to top the agenda during talks at Stormont castle.
Although Sinn Fein acknowledges that funding is important, it believes Mr Robinson is using it as an excuse to delay the transfer in the face of resistance from hardline elements within his ranks.
Senior Sinn Fein figures also believe the DUP is wary of the electoral impact of the move, given the vocal opposition to devolution from the anti-agreement Traditional Unionist Voice party.
The First Minister has insisted that, apart from money, there also needs to be sufficient confidence within the unionist community before he will give the go-ahead.
Mr Brown will also receive a briefing on the current threat posed by dissident republicans from Northern Ireland’s new Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, during his visit to Stormont.
And he will hold discussions with Alliance Party leader David Ford, whose team is favourite to take over the Justice Ministry under a devolution settlement.
Protestors
Thousands of supporters of the ChildcareSOS campaign had their voices heard at Parliament Buildings, as Gordon Brown arrived at Stormont in a column of around 10 vehicles accompanied by motorcycle outriders.
Employers For Childcare handed over a petition registering their opposition to Gordon Brown’s proposal to abolish tax relief on childcare vouchers.
The petition was signed by numerous MLAs from across all parties.
Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness personally handed it to the Prime Minister on behalf of Childcare SOS.
The Five Demands 