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| Version 12 | Version 13 |
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| Bush in Tory appeal over NI deal | Bush in Tory appeal over NI deal |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Ex-US President George W Bush has asked David Cameron to help secure Ulster Unionist (UUP) support for the transfer of justice powers to Northern Ireland. | Ex-US President George W Bush has asked David Cameron to help secure Ulster Unionist (UUP) support for the transfer of justice powers to Northern Ireland. |
| The Conservatives have an electoral pact with the UUP, prompting the call. | The Conservatives have an electoral pact with the UUP, prompting the call. |
| The NI Assembly is due to vote on the transfer of powers from Westminster later. On Monday, the UUP said they would vote "no". | The NI Assembly is due to vote on the transfer of powers from Westminster later. On Monday, the UUP said they would vote "no". |
| The decision will not scupper the deal as the DUP and Sinn Fein have enough votes to ensure that it is passed. | The decision will not scupper the deal as the DUP and Sinn Fein have enough votes to ensure that it is passed. |
| However, the DUP would like UUP support to show that the deal has wide backing among the unionist community. | However, the DUP would like UUP support to show that the deal has wide backing among the unionist community. |
| Mr Bush and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have both applied pressure to the UUP. | Mr Bush and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have both applied pressure to the UUP. |
| 'Blackmail' | |
| Mrs Clinton spoke to UUP leader Sir Reg Empey on Friday and to Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, at the weekend. | Mrs Clinton spoke to UUP leader Sir Reg Empey on Friday and to Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, at the weekend. |
| However, the former Ulster Unionist MP, Lord Maginnis, has said his party would not give in to what he called "blackmail" or "bribery". | However, the former Ulster Unionist MP, Lord Maginnis, has said his party would not give in to what he called "blackmail" or "bribery". |
| "What on earth do they know about about day-to-day security, policing and justice in Northern Ireland?" he said. | "What on earth do they know about about day-to-day security, policing and justice in Northern Ireland?" he said. |
| The vote at Stormont is the first major hurdle for the Hillsborough Castle deal, which was struck last month in an historic agreement between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein. | The vote at Stormont is the first major hurdle for the Hillsborough Castle deal, which was struck last month in an historic agreement between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Fein. |
| If the vote is passed, it will lead to powers being devolved by 12 April. | If the vote is passed, it will lead to powers being devolved by 12 April. |
| The Conservatives have given clear support to the deal but have insisted they cannot tell the UUP what to do, despite their electoral alliance. | |
| Mr Cameron made that point to Mr Bush in their phone conversation on Friday and it was repeated by the party's Northern Ireland spokesman Owen Paterson on Tuesday. | |
| "At national level we support devolution of policing but we are not in a position - it doesn't matter how eminent the people are who put pressure on us - we are not in a position to order the Ulster Unionist Party around," Mr Paterson told the BBC. | |
| "We are not in a position to order local parties around. That is not the spirit of devolution." | |
| ANALYSIS Mark Simpson, BBC Ireland correspondent | ANALYSIS Mark Simpson, BBC Ireland correspondent |
| Devolving policing and justice | Devolving policing and justice |
| It took 10 days and nights to negotiate the Hillsborough Castle deal, and now it faces its first hurdle. Tuesday's vote at Stormont is important - just ask former President George Bush and the current US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. | It took 10 days and nights to negotiate the Hillsborough Castle deal, and now it faces its first hurdle. Tuesday's vote at Stormont is important - just ask former President George Bush and the current US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. |
| They have been involved in trans-Atlantic telephone diplomacy to try to ensure that the vote on the transfer of policing powers from London to Belfast gains all-party support. | They have been involved in trans-Atlantic telephone diplomacy to try to ensure that the vote on the transfer of policing powers from London to Belfast gains all-party support. |
| Barring a last-minute dramatic twist, that won't happen. The Ulster Unionists will say "no". | Barring a last-minute dramatic twist, that won't happen. The Ulster Unionists will say "no". |
| However, this will not scupper the deal. If the Democratic Unionists vote "yes" - and all the indications so far are that they will - the motion will be passed. | However, this will not scupper the deal. If the Democratic Unionists vote "yes" - and all the indications so far are that they will - the motion will be passed. |
| So why all the fuss? It seems there are fears that the deal could eventually collapse without all-party support. | So why all the fuss? It seems there are fears that the deal could eventually collapse without all-party support. |
| The UUP have faced intense pressure from across the political spectrum to change their position. | The UUP have faced intense pressure from across the political spectrum to change their position. |
| On Monday, the party accused Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward of political and emotional blackmail. | On Monday, the party accused Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward of political and emotional blackmail. |
| UUP deputy leader Danny Kennedy said Mr Woodward had "disgracefully" linked the vote to the anniversary of the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll. | UUP deputy leader Danny Kennedy said Mr Woodward had "disgracefully" linked the vote to the anniversary of the murder of Constable Stephen Carroll. |
| The vote takes place exactly a year after the police officer was murdered by the Continuity IRA in Craigavon. | The vote takes place exactly a year after the police officer was murdered by the Continuity IRA in Craigavon. |
| However, the former DUP leader, Ian Paisley, said the UUP were making "a colossal mistake" by not voting for the devolution of policing and justice powers. | However, the former DUP leader, Ian Paisley, said the UUP were making "a colossal mistake" by not voting for the devolution of policing and justice powers. |
| Disagreement on the timing of the devolution of the justice powers had threatened to collapse Northern Ireland's power-sharing administration. | Disagreement on the timing of the devolution of the justice powers had threatened to collapse Northern Ireland's power-sharing administration. |
| However, in February, Northern Ireland's two main parties made the agreement which, if the powers are devolved as expected, will see a justice minister elected. | However, in February, Northern Ireland's two main parties made the agreement which, if the powers are devolved as expected, will see a justice minister elected. |
| The Hillsborough Agreement allows for the first and deputy first ministers to identify a candidate who would command cross-community support in the assembly. | The Hillsborough Agreement allows for the first and deputy first ministers to identify a candidate who would command cross-community support in the assembly. |
| Agreement in full A truly historic deal? Policing and justice: Key points Reaction: Policing and justice | Agreement in full A truly historic deal? Policing and justice: Key points Reaction: Policing and justice |
| Alliance leader David Ford is favourite to take the post. | Alliance leader David Ford is favourite to take the post. |
| The two smaller parties in Northern Ireland's mandatory coalition - the UUP and the SDLP - have insisted Alliance has no right to the post under the d'Hondt system for selecting ministers, which was agreed in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. | The two smaller parties in Northern Ireland's mandatory coalition - the UUP and the SDLP - have insisted Alliance has no right to the post under the d'Hondt system for selecting ministers, which was agreed in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. |
| The UUP also said they could not back the Hillsborough deal on policing and justice because it failed to address matters such as education, parading and "the dysfunctional nature of the current executive". | The UUP also said they could not back the Hillsborough deal on policing and justice because it failed to address matters such as education, parading and "the dysfunctional nature of the current executive". |
| Some commentators have also speculated that the UUP are unwilling to give political cover to the DUP as they recall how that party did them no favours when they were striking deals with Sinn Fein. | Some commentators have also speculated that the UUP are unwilling to give political cover to the DUP as they recall how that party did them no favours when they were striking deals with Sinn Fein. |