Political Quotes

“The peace process in Northern Ireland is in serious trouble. The Good Friday agreement we cautiously celebrated last spring is now under attack from within. Ulster Party leader David Trimble, who signed the agreement just nine months ago, is now balking and trying to reopen, renegotiate and re-interpret the terms of that hard-fought agreement. Over the past few months we have seen deadlines pass, deals reneged upon and a return to the ugly politics of exclusion. Let me remind those who support the status quo that the people in Ireland, north and south, voted decisively for change in the referendums last May. History will not be kind to those who fail to deliver. The next couple of weeks are critical. On Monday the Northern Ireland Assembly will meet to formally approve the creation of the 10-member executive and cross-border bodies. Over the next two weeks the assembly will make preparations for the transfer of powers from the Northern Ireland office on March 10.”