Traditional Unionist Voice has produced a fact sheet laying out how Martin McGuinness could become First Minister.

Commenting party leader Jim Allister QC said:

“Bad as the Belfast Agreement was it at least ensured that the First Minister always came from the biggest tradition in the Assembly. This guaranteed that the First Minister would always be a Unionist.

“However, the legislation flowing from St Andrews changed this and provided that instead the First Minister would come from the biggest party – opening the door to a Sinn Fein/IRA First Minister being foisted on a Unionist majority Assembly. The Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Bill was only introduced by the government after its contents were settled at secret proximity talks between the DUP and Sinn Fein in London in November 2006, talks from which any possible dissenters within the DUP were excluded.

“Peter Robinson’s finger prints are all over this because he saw the prospect of Martin McGuinness becoming First Minister as a wonderful threat to force Unionists to vote DUP.

“I highlighted this danger while still a DUP Party Officer on 17th November 2006 but when the Bill came before Parliament not a single DUP MP spoke out against the change.

“In law and in practice the Office of the First and deputy First Minister is a joint one in which Martin McGuinness has equal power with Peter Robinson. However, the position of First Minister is still a psychologically important one for Unionists to hold. Shamefully the DUP decided to sell the Unionist veto on this issue in order to blackmail the electorate.

“Their hypocrisy in relation to this matter will be relentlessly exposed by TUV when polling time comes around.”

Copies of the Fact Sheet can be obtained by contacting TUV at 139 Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 3BE, phoning us on (028) 9065 5011 or emailing info@tuv.org.uk