Briefing from the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman on: Northern Ireland and Mercer Bill.
Northern Ireland
Asked if Bertie Ahern’s recent comments about there being news this evening about the Northern Ireland, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) replied that it was better for people to wait and see. There was intense discussions going on, and we hoped that we would be in a position where the people of Northern Ireland could judge for themselves what we would put forward tomorrow. The important thing to remember was that people would be able to judge how much progress had been made over the past year, and also if there was a gap remaining, how narrow the gap was. The other important issue was the two Prime Ministers would continue to push for a successful outcome.
Asked if the gap would always remain, no matter what else happened, the PMOS replied that last week, the leader of Sinn Fein sat across the table from the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland; likewise people had said there would never be, however indirectly, discussions involving the DUP and Sinn Fein. Equally, if there was agreement that the key issues were complete decommissioning, a complete end to paramilitary activity, a commitment to power sharing, and those issues were addressed, then that would be progress. The PMOS said again people should not jump ahead until tomorrow.
Asked if the very act of a visit to Northern Ireland would upset Dr. Paisley, the PMOS said he hoped that people would understand that the people of Northern Ireland had the right to reach their own judgement about what was being proposed in their name as a fair compromise, and how important it was for them to do so.
Asked if the two governments thought if it was right or fair that the decommissioning was photographed, the PMOS replied that the question would be addressed tomorrow, and not today.
Asked what the statement would set out, the PMOS said what we would aim for was for people to be able to judge for themselves what was the fairest way forward.
Asked if the Prime Minister had spoken to John de Chastlain today, the PMOS said no, and in terms of other communications, we did not give out details of meetings.
Asked how "we got so close" when there still appeared to be a "misunderstanding" and was it the Government’s view that someone had in turn changed their view, the PMOS replied that whenever there were people who had started from very different positions, as Sinn Fein and the DUP were, even a year ago, then there was a need to address the gap, and to keep closing it. The reality was that the gap was now a relatively narrow one, but people would be able to judge for themselves how narrow that gap was, and in a democracy, that was the right way to approach the issues.
Mercer Bill
Asked what the Prime Minister’s view on Michael Howard’s challenge to give him "a fair wind" on Patrick Mercer’s Bill, the PMOS replied that not only had the Mercer Bill had not been published, so any answer would be theoretical, but also, regarding the need for clarification, we had clearly conceded there was some confusion about the defence of reasonable force. This was a matter for the Home Office to study, as he had indicated earlier in the day and during the week. The key test for any other proposal was whether it was practical, and whether it could be applied in court to any other case. The law as it stood at the moment, did allow for reasonable force to be applied, but that needed to be clarified.
Asked if therefore the government was not ruling out support for the Mercer Bill, the PMOS said that he was neither ruling it in nor out, but what he was saying was what the general indication of the Home Office was. It was not a hint.
Asked again if the Mercer Bill was going to become law, the PMOS repeated that people should not draw any conclusions, since it had not yet been published.
Asked whether he was now saying that this issue was now being treated separately from the Murder Review, the PMOS confirmed he was, and apologised for confusing the two issues earlier in the week. The issues were related but separate.
Asked when the clarification would be made and whether it would be issued as guidelines, the PMOS said people should wait and see.
Asked about Sir John Stevens support for the Conservatives’ view about the Bill, the PMOS replied that Sir John Stevens was a free agent and could do what he wished.
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