Devolving Policing and Justice does not equal progress';Taking into consideration Northern Ireland's recent history, policing and justice is one of the most contentious and difficult issues that our Executive will have to administer.
DUP caved to NIO and SF pressureConservatives and Unionists MEP Jim Nicholson has criticised Nigel Dodds following derogatory and contradictory remarks made in relation to the electoral relationship between the Ulster Unionist Party and the Conservatives.
Lifeline for Northern IrelandUlster Unionist health spokesperson John McCallister MLA, a member of the Assembly Health Committee, has welcomed the opening of the new Lifeline headquarters and therapy centre.
UUP not dividedUlster Unionist Chief Whip Fred Cobain has hit back at Nigel Dodds claims that the UUP is divided over the issue of policing and justice - describing his comments as 'blatant lies'.
Working For Good Government And Accountability
="Taking into consideration Northern Ireland's recent history, policing and justice is one of the most contentious and difficult issues that our Executive will have to administer.
"Currently the Executive isn't working - education isn't working, local government reform isn't working and we must remember that in the middle of the worst recession in living memory Sinn Fein and the DUP refused to meet for 152 days.
"Why would we want to devolve policing and justice into this scenario"?
"The manner in which Sinn Fein has administered education in Northern Ireland illustrates that they are not prepared, or are incapable of constructively engaging with other parties on important issues.
"Because we are not opposed to the devolution of policing and justice in principle, we proposed a number of reasonable measures to make the Executive work. We believe a working Executive could cope with policing and justice; devolving policing and justice into an Executive that does not work is in nobodies' best interest. Our responsible approach has so far been rejected.
"The Ulster Unionist Party has been at the forefront of progress in Northern Ireland and we will continue to work for genuine progress. Devolving policing and justice in current circumstances does not equal progress. [more]
Members of the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly group show their support for the British Heart Foundation's National Heart Month, and call for a community effort on February 26 - Wear Red Day - to promote awareness of heart and circulatory disease.
Clip courtesy of www.fermanagh.tv
