by John Coulter in Belfast
Leading SDLP politician and solicitor Alban Maginness has emerged as the new frontrunner for the hotly debated post of Stormont policing and justice minister.
Well-placed nationalist sources are adamant the North Belfast MLA – and the SDLP’s runner in last June’s European election – will be the preferred choice for policing minister over Alliance boss and South Antrim MLA David Ford.
Senior Unionist sources predict the DUP will finally hammer out a workable deal over the devolving of policing and justice in the coming days “rather than face the electorate”. Under-fire DUP leader Peter Robinson has already briefed his Assembly team on the progress of talks with Sinn Féin.
One insider said: “The DUP has always been an organisation which puts party before the province. The DUP will cut a deal over policing with Sinn Féin rather than placate its hardline wing, because the DUP does not want to face the Unionist electorate in an Assembly election.”
Some Unionists believe there is a secret agenda by the British and Irish governments to try and destroy the post-Ian Paisley DUP and swing unionist opinion back towards the Ulster Unionists.
The insider said: “Devolution worked fine under Paisley, but had ground to a halt under Robinson until the ‘Iris scandal’ broke. The DUP is operating on the strategy of delaying when it has to face the electorate in an Assembly poll but it cannot delay the general election – when it has already come to terms with the fact it will take hits.”
However, by agreeing to devolve policing and justice, the DUP can avoid an embarrassing Stormont election and concentrate on trying to regain its credibility in the unionist community – especially among church-going Protestants.
