DAVID CAMERON on his first visit to Northern Ireland as British prime minister pledged that his commitment to devolution was “absolute” while also looking forward to continuing strong British-Irish relations and a visit to the Republic by Queen Elizabeth.
Mr Cameron spent 45 minutes with First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at Stormont Castle yesterday and also met other party leaders, including Sir Reg Empey, leader of the Conservatives’ sister party, the Ulster Unionist Party.
While the Tory-UUP link-up failed to win a single seat in the Westminster general election, he was, nonetheless, proud of the alliance – currently under review – because he wanted to play a part in bringing “normal politics” to the North. Mr Cameron said he was visiting the North so soon after his appointment to demonstrate “my commitment to our United Kingdom” and to “reassure people of my support, of my party’s support and our coalition government’s support for the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland, and for all the agreements that have been signed to make sure that we have peaceful progress here in Northern Ireland”.
He said he would be meeting Taoiseach Brian Cowen shortly and that within 24 hours of becoming prime minister he had a telephone conversation with him. He said that aside from face-to-face meetings “the telephone lines will be open and, I’m sure, very often buzzing”.
“I want to see very good relations between Britain and the Republic of Ireland,” he said.
Mr Cameron also made clear he favoured a visit by the queen to the Republic.
“It is an excellent idea. All sorts of things have to be dealt with, but the concept is a very, very good one.”
Addressing dissident republicans, he said: “Taking part in terror will not achieve anything apart from misery.
“Our commitment to Northern Ireland, to the devolved institutions, is absolute. Terrorism, acts of violence, will achieve nothing except misery.”
He repeated his pledge that the North would not be discriminated against but that it would have to take its share of the financial pain.
“No part of the United Kingdom will be singled out for cuts, of course not. We are all in this together. We all have to deal with the deficit together,” he said.
Mr Robinson reasserted that he had no intention of standing down as First Minister or DUP leader by telling reporters that with Mr McGuinness he intended to be in the US in the autumn for the special conference on stimulating the Northern economy.
Cowen UK visit: British PM extends invite
TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen has been invited to No 10 Downing Street by British prime minister David Cameron, but a Government spokesman said no time or date had been fixed for the meeting.
Speaking at a conference in UCD yesterday morning, the Taoiseach said Mr Cameron’s visit to Northern Ireland was “clear testament” to the prime minister’s commitment to the peace process.
Mr Cowen said he knew Mr Cameron was very committed to continuing the work of his predecessors.