East Londonderry DUP MP Gregory Campbell has said republicans have threatened devolution through the continuing existence of the PIRA and the non-implementation of the Stormont House Agreement.
Mr Campbell said,
“Bobby Storey is like Gerry Adams and a growing list of republicans whom people in the Unionist community simply don’t believe. Whilst Storey says the PIRA is gone, the Chief Constable, the Secretary of State and a host of others disagree.
Unfortunately for republicans nearly everyone else believes the Chief Constable rather than Bobby Storey or Gerry Adams. The problem with this latest drivel is that it compares the IRA to butterflies! Action on what they intend to do about the IRA is what is needed as opposed to this latest idealistic nonsense. The murder of two men in recent weeks significantly contradicts the words of people like Bobby Storey.
Republicans are threatening devolution. Long before the Short Strand murders SF had broken its word on the Stormont House Agreement and refused to implement the Welfare Reform Bill. The result was fines being levied on everyone here of nearly £10m per month. That is what was crippling Stormont long before the shots were fired, which simply quickened the crisis.
The DUP has tried to create the time and space to allow negotiations. We are not focused on the process rather we are focused on the outcome. We want to see the Stormont House Agreement implemented and we want to see PIRA criminality dealt with once and for all.”
