This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-31941035
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Election 2015: SDLP reject Sinn Féin proposal for pact | Election 2015: SDLP reject Sinn Féin proposal for pact |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The SDLP has rejected Sinn Féin's call for a general election pact after Northern Ireland's two biggest unionist parties agreed to support a single candidate in four constituencies. | The SDLP has rejected Sinn Féin's call for a general election pact after Northern Ireland's two biggest unionist parties agreed to support a single candidate in four constituencies. |
| Sinn Féin's North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly said a pact with the SDLP would be about "progressive politics". | |
| SDLP MLA Alban Maginness said Sinn Féin's proposal was a mirror image of what unionists had done. | SDLP MLA Alban Maginness said Sinn Féin's proposal was a mirror image of what unionists had done. |
| "Our position is very clear, we don't enter into sectarian pacts," he said. | "Our position is very clear, we don't enter into sectarian pacts," he said. |
| "We are not going to do it in this situation." | "We are not going to do it in this situation." |
| Mr Maginness, a candidate for North Belfast, said the pact was "depressingly predictable, sad and disappointing" and amounted to "a sectarian carve-up". | Mr Maginness, a candidate for North Belfast, said the pact was "depressingly predictable, sad and disappointing" and amounted to "a sectarian carve-up". |
| "Progressive politics is about trying to tackle sectarianism, not to embolden sectarianism or to entrench sectarianism," he said. | "Progressive politics is about trying to tackle sectarianism, not to embolden sectarianism or to entrench sectarianism," he said. |
| SDLP MLA for West Belfast Alex Attwood also ruled out his party entering a pact with Sinn Féin for the general election. | |
| He said pacts would reduce politics to a tribal headcount. | |
| Mr Kelly said "if the accusation is that we are looking for a sectarian pact then it ignores the fact that we are for religious freedom, for anti-racism laws for LGBT, for the civic forum which they are against and for the Single Equality Act". | Mr Kelly said "if the accusation is that we are looking for a sectarian pact then it ignores the fact that we are for religious freedom, for anti-racism laws for LGBT, for the civic forum which they are against and for the Single Equality Act". |
| 'Leg up' | 'Leg up' |
| "Is Alban Maginness saying that that is not good reason to come together and bring forward candidates who are for all those progressive policies?" he said. | "Is Alban Maginness saying that that is not good reason to come together and bring forward candidates who are for all those progressive policies?" he said. |
| "It is no coincidence that the [unionist] pacts are in the three areas where Sinn Féin are strong. In other areas they have not made pacts. | "It is no coincidence that the [unionist] pacts are in the three areas where Sinn Féin are strong. In other areas they have not made pacts. |
| "The Ulster Unionists are going to diminish their vote and go down further. The Ulster Unionists have given a leg up to the DUP." | "The Ulster Unionists are going to diminish their vote and go down further. The Ulster Unionists have given a leg up to the DUP." |
| The deal between the Democratic Unionist Party and Ulster Unionist Party means there will be a single candidate from the two main unionist parties in four constituencies. | The deal between the Democratic Unionist Party and Ulster Unionist Party means there will be a single candidate from the two main unionist parties in four constituencies. |
| The DUP will step aside in Fermanagh and South Tyrone and Newry and Armagh. | The DUP will step aside in Fermanagh and South Tyrone and Newry and Armagh. |
| The UUP will step aside in East Belfast and North Belfast. | The UUP will step aside in East Belfast and North Belfast. |