Sinn Fein to face financial penalties
Sinn Fein is set to lose its allowances at both Westminster and Stormont.
The party’s Northern Ireland allowances have already been suspended for the past year, and Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy told the Commons today that he would be seeking to block them for another 12 months, depriving them of a grant of £120,000.
In addition, Mr Murphy said that he would be seeking to deprive the Sinn Fein members who do not take up their seat at Westminster of their allowances.
Sinn Fein MPs have traditionally refused to sit in the House of Commons or take an oath of allegiance to the Queen, but they have claimed parliamentary allowances.
The financial penalties could cost the party as much as £500,000.
The move comes in response to the International Monitoring Commission’s conclusion that senior figures in Sinn Fein sanctioned the £26.5 million Northern Bank robbery. The Northern Irish police say that the IRA carried out the robbery, but both the IRA and Sinn Fein have denied any involvement.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Murphy said that the final decision on financial penalties would be taken after he had met with Sinn Fein representatives on Tuesday. But the Government would propose a motion suspending the parliamentary allowances for the same timescale as the Stormont allowances are suspended.
Mr Murphy said though that he would not be excluding Sinn Fein from the peace process as nationalist involvement was essential for a final settlement.
He said: “I should emphasise to the House, lest anyone accuse us of denying the extent of Sinn Fein’s electoral support, that the measures we are proposing are designed to express the disapproval of all those who are committed to purely democratic politics at the actions of the Provisional IRA.
“All in this House recognise the degree of support for Sinn Fein, but we also believe that the actions of the republican movement are letting down everyone in Northern Ireland, including Sinn Fein voters.”
The Northern Ireland Secretary added: “But the reality remains that long-term stability in Northern Ireland will not come about if we focus on exclusion. That objective requires inclusion: dialogue with Sinn Fein must continue in order to see how that long-term goal can be achieved. But I am clear that this must be inclusion on the basis of a complete and demonstrable commitment to non-violence and exclusively peaceful and democratic means, that fundamental principle of the Good Friday Agreement, enshrined in the Pledge of Office.”
He added that his view on exclusion would have been different if the robbery had occurred whilst the Assembly was in operation as “It is inconceivable, in my view, that members of Sinn Fein could again hold Ministerial office while the issue of paramilitary activity and criminality on the part of the Provisional IRA remained unresolved. “
David Lidington, the Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary said a suspension of allowances was welcome, but Sinn Fein should lose the use of all its Westminster facilities.
Mr Lidington said: “The Government must clarify whether Sinn Fein will still have the use of offices at Westminster and still be able to give House of Commons passes to their staff, even if staff salaries have to be met from Sinn Fein’s other sources of funding.
“Whilst Sinn Fein remains inextricably linked to a criminal gang the Government must completely remove Sinn Fein’s access to facilities in the House of Commons.”
