Stoop rattles cage

Hypocrisy knows no bounds for the SDLP’s Alasdair McDonnell. Writing in a letter to the Prime Minister he howls that attempts to unseat him are both sectarian and destabilising to the peace process.

It’s a pity then, that in spite of his long career in politics, his memory runs short. In 1981 at the height of the hunger strikes the SDLP withdrew in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, leaving a clear run for Bobby Sands. Standing on a platform that he and his friends such as Bik McFarlane, who bombed the Bayardo Bar and opened fire on those escaping the wreckage, weren’t criminals the SDLP failed to mount a challenge against this attempt to legitimise the sectarian killers of the IRA. The SDLP once again stood down to give Owen Carron a clear run in spite of a spate of sectarian killings conducted by Bobby's pals.

Ironically McDonnell claims to seek an alliance with the party he has branded bigots to work against the SF/DUP axis in the Assembly. It’s a shame McDonnell wasn’t interested in reaching across the divide when Sinn Fein and the IRA were defaulting on decommissioning. If the SDLP had the courage to insist Sinn Fein live up to its commitments under the Belfast Agreement rather than backing their tribal partners we may now have effective cross-community government up at Stormont.

McDonnell would have been better employed earning the support of his constituents to remain at Westminster. The double, and until recently treble, jobbing MP’s abysmal attendance record would have seen him dismissed from any employment in the private sector. Not that you would realise this looking at his expenses, running up bills of £23,000 for housing and nearly £10,000 in travel costs. While obviously work shy he certainly seems to enjoy the amenities London has to offer.

One wonders what the dire consequences Alasdair warns of if he is deprived of the high life at the expense of the public purse. Is he seriously proposing that the ranks of dissident republicans shall be swelled by disillusioned stoops, disgusted the SDLP’s abstentionist MP has been ousted? Perhaps ‘big Al’ thinks we should dispense with elections altogether!

The Conservatives and Unionists should push on to give South Belfast some real representation. If the DUP stand aside so an end can be put to Al's party then they will have done the taxpayer, and south Belfast, a small service.