Republican News · Thursday 12 December 2002

SF National Chair in London

Sinn Féin National Chairperson, Mitchel Mc Laughlin left on a two-day working trip to London on Wednesday 11 December.

While in London, McLaughlin is scheduled to meet with a number of influential politicians, including Quentin Davies MP, Conservative spokesperson on the North. He will also have discussions with Labour and Lib/Dem representatives. The purpose of the visit is to inform them of Sinn Féin's analysis of the current state of the peace process and the measures we believe need to be taken to put it back on track.

As well as his meetings with politicians, the Derry Assembly member will brief a number of newspaper editorial boards, and senior political correspondents. McLaughlin will be a guest at a reception of the Agreed Ireland Forum in the House of Commons on Wednesday night.

Before leaving for London the Sinn Féin Chairperson said:

"I intend to impress on the politicians, editors and political correspondents the urgency of the situation and the need for everyone with the success of this process at heart to put maximum effort into ensuring that those that are intent on wrecking the Agreement do not succeed.

"I will tell them that it is time for the British government to show rigorous impartiality in its approach to developing the process. I will tell them that it is time that the British government stopped acting in support of one party and began acting in support of the Agreement. In the interests of political stability the British government must repeal the legislation that allows it to suspend the political institutions here. Elections must not be postponed just because the British government may not like the probable outcome."