Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister:

“Peter Robinson is obviously feeling the heat over policing and justice after his roll-over at Hillsborough. Hence his attempt to divert attention by falsely claiming I ever supported transferring such powers to a terrorist-inclusive Executive and that I am opposed to the public reading his Hillsborough deal with IRA/Sinn Fein.

“Mr Robinson, or no one else, will find any statement by me in 2007, or any time, embracing the transfer of policing and justice to a terrorist-inclusive Executive. For me community confidence could never exist for such an obscenity, so seeking to attach me to a manifesto which presents such as a pre-condition hardly makes his case. Moreover, the key boast of the manifesto was that the DUP had secured and would exercise a triple lock. It was never suggested to the public that at Hillsborough they would meekly hand over the keys to the Sinn Fein marauders.

“As for the false suggestion that I wish to prevent the public reading the Hillsborough DUP/Sinn Fein concord, again he is wrong. What I have objected to is the illegality of OFMDFM’s political promotion of the deal (contrary to S 321 Communications Act 2003) at public expense. I certainly urge everyone to read this sordid deal, including Arlene Foster who clearly never got as far as Section 5 or she wouldn’t have made a fool of herself by claiming the Irish language and north/southery are untouched by the Hillsborough deal. These issues are the agenda of the working group set up by Section 5 to address outstanding St Andrews issues.

“The more people who read the agreement the better, because they will see what a walk-over it is for Sinn Fein with their attainment of a date and a veto on policing and justice, with more to come at their next staging posts, whereas all the DUP got was a review of a review of parading.

“Mr Robinson of Clontibret, the Gold Medallist of political somersaults, over many political lifetimes, will find no comfort in trying to pretend others share his flip flop tendencies. I suggest Mr Robinson goes back and reads his own Assembly speech of 8 May 2001 on the real Martin McGuinness before he again tries to paint anyone else in his own chameleon colours. ”