Sir, - I have been reluctant, for obvious reasons, to respond to the attacks on my party by Monica McWilliams of the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. Given the difficulties faced by women in all walks of life, it is in our interest to pool our resources and work together.
The Northern Ireland Women's Coalition has played an important role in focusing attention on the gender imbalance in public life here, something which my party had been addressing internally for some time. We have also held two major public conferences on women in public life under the auspices of the party of European Socialists and sponsored by our party leader, John Hume. SDLP women frequently meet women in other political parties through the Women's Political Forum. In my view it is important that all of us should work together to promote women's participation in public life.
In an interview by Nuala Haughey in The Irish Times of May 4th, Monica McWilliams clearly implies that the SDLP, in rejecting a top-up system for election to the Assembly, did so in a determination to "exclude the very people who made this thing work". On a recent RTE news programme, Ms McWilliams accused the SDLP of "stitching up" the Women's Coalition. These comments detract from the credibility of the Belfast Agreement. They are also, unfortunately, typical of the old-style, negative politics which we need to leave behind. Indeed, they are contrary to the spirit in which many of us built relationships during the negotiations.
When the SDLP and the UUP reached substantive agreement on Strand One in the early hours of Good Friday, the number of seats in the Assembly was one of the matters which was unresolved. In fact, it was the British Government which decided which option appeared in the draft text. This should be seen in the perspective of our having achieved a wider agreement on other more important matters, including safeguards to protect against unravelling tactics. The Women's Coalition must have had similar considerations in mind when it decided not to table an amendment to the text. All this is hardly the story of a "stitch-up". I would also point out that the Women's Coalition told SDLP representatives its main concern was to see a consultative civic forum as part of the agreement because it was resigned to not winning the "top-up". The SDLP supported the consultative forum idea, which is reflected in the agreement in terms which were suggested by the SDLP. Just as we are not being singled out for credit on this element of the settlement, we should not be singled out for blame on any other issue.
We have no wish to be distracted from our task in the referendum campaign by attacks which seem to be election-orientated, but we have the right to clarify facts in the face of misrepresentation. In fact, in the context of so many negative noises about one element of the agreement or another, we have a positive duty to do so. I would not want people to believe that the SDLP or anyone else is asking them to vote Yes for a "stitch-up" against anyone on May 22nd. - Yours, etc., Brid Rodgers,
Chairperson, SDLP Negotiating Team, Ormeau Road, Belfast 7.