FIRST MINISTER Peter Robinson has retreated from the DUP’s ostensible precondition that the police full-time reserve must be maintained to facilitate the transfer of policing and justice powers to the Northern Executive.
And while he warned Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness yesterday against issuing “threats” over the devolution of policing, he also did not rule out the possibility of a policing and justice deal with Sinn Féin by Christmas.
Mr Robinson was explicit that progress on policing and justice after the recent squabbles between Sinn Féin and the DUP must involve serious negotiation between the two parties.
“There are issues that Sinn Féin has to deal with. It is not just the DUP who has got issues that have got to be resolved. There are matters that have to be negotiated with Sinn Féin.”
The DUP leader has not drawn back from his previous precondition that an agreement must involve the abolition of the Parades Commission but he did appear to shift ground that could open up possibilities for he and Mr McGuinness to at least see if they can find common ground.
His position was certainly different than that of DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson on BBC Radio Ulster’s Stephen Nolan programme on Monday morning. Under pressure from Nolan and Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister, the Lagan Valley MP characterised disbanding the full-time reserve as a deal-breaker.
This prompted the new PSNI chief constable Matt Baggott to insist that he will not alter his “operational” decision to phase out the police full-time reserve of 440 members by March 2011.
Mr Robinson, after leading a party delegation in talks with Mr Baggott at police headquarters in Belfast yesterday, said he accepted as an “imperative” that Mr Baggott must have “operational independence”, thus accepting that the full-time reserve will be disbanded.
There were indications, however, that Mr Robinson is seeking a compromise where full-time reservists who are made redundant could apply for specific civilian jobs in the PSNI where their experience could be applied.
DUP sources indicated progress was made in this area.
Shortly before the DUP meeting with Mr Baggott, a North-South Ministerial Council meeting was held at Stormont Castle involving Mr Robinson, Mr McGuinness and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin.
The First Minister did not attend the press conference afterwards, where Mr McGuinness, standing beside Mr Martin, warned of “deep trouble” if there was not a deal on policing and justice by Christmas.
At police headquarters, Mr Robinson responded: “Let me make it abundantly clear, the DUP will not be pushed about by any threat. Indeed, if people continue to make those kind of threats, it is more likely to have us stalling the negotiating processes rather than continue, because we will not negotiate under threat.”
Mr Robinson said the DUP wanted justice powers devolved but, referring to the timescale, added: “If that requires us to take time beyond that which is set out by the Deputy First Minister then we will take that time.”
Yet Mr Robinson indicated a deal was still possible by Christmas.
“Equally, if we can have all of the issues resolved before then, we are not holding back on the matter; we are not dragging our feet.”