Alasdair McDonnell: SDLP leader stands by comments on DUP and Sinn Féin

SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell has said he stands by comments in which he accused the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of not wanting to work with Catholics and said Sinn Féin "can't tell the truth" about the IRA.

His comments were recorded by the North Belfast News as he opened a new office.

He was heard saying the DUP "don't want a taig (derogatory term for Catholics) about the place" at Stormont.

He has told the BBC his remarks were "said clearly, said intentionally".

Dr McDonnell said his claims were made "against a backdrop of outrageous comments" from the DUP's Arlene Foster.

In her first public remarks after taking over as acting first minister, Mrs Foster said she would protect Northern Ireland from "rogue" and "renegade" nationalist and republican ministers.

Mrs Foster took over the role from DUP leader Peter Robinson earlier this month when he stepped aside as the political crisis at Stormont escalated.

Brutal

That crisis was sparked when police said Provisional IRA members were involved the murder of ex-IRA man Kevin McGuigan Sr in Belfast in August.

The claims led to a breakdown in trust between Sinn Féin and unionist parties.

Dr McDonnell said his claims were made "against a backdrop of outrageous comments" by Arlene Foster

Dr McDonnell was recorded on Thursday evening blaming the DUP and Sinn Féin for the crisis as he opened his party's new office in Glengormley, County Antrim.

He said: "The DUP don't want partnership, they don't want a taig about the place. I'm sorry, it's as brutal as that."

"I'm not divisive, I don't like to be like that, but at times they've made it very clear to us they don't support the Good Friday Agreement, they don't support a lot of the changes that have taken place."

Dr McDonnell added: "Sinn Fein can't tell the truth. They just can't tell the truth, and they can tell us whatever they like.

Congratulatory

"And you've examples like Gerry Adams was never in the IRA and you've examples like Martin McGuinness saying this, that and the other thing. They're not telling the truth.

"We know who killed Kevin McGuigan. And we know there are people out there associated with, connected with or involved in some way, that basically were involved in helping and supporting the murder of Kevin McGuigan."

In an interview with the BBC on Friday, Dr McDonnell said: "Most of the messages I'm getting are congratulatory messages telling me it was time somebody told the truth.

"And quite frankly I would make [the comments] all over again because they have to be said.

Alex Maskey challenged Dr McDonnell to produce evidence to support his allegations

"We've reached a stage after a couple of weeks of talks that it's time to call it as it is, to be honest and tell the truth, and I called it as I saw it."

Mrs Foster said she was "hugely disappointed" by Dr McDonnell's use of "pejorative language" and called on him to apologise.

"Had any other elected representative used such language they would have stepped forward to apologise," she said.

Point-scoring

Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey also criticised Dr McDonnell's remarks and challenged him to produce evidence to support his allegations against his party.

"Anything that I have heard Alasdair McDonnell coming out with in this past week has just reaffirmed in my mind that the man is a bumbling idiot," Mr Maskey said.

He said Mr McGuigan's murder had been "jumped on by the SDLP for their own cheap, political point-scoring exercises".

He added the SDLP should take any information they had about Mr McGuigan Sr's murder to the police.

Dolores Kelly, the SDLP's deputy leader, said Dr McDonnell's remarks were "not a choice of words that I would use".

She added that "things are said in the heat of the moment" and called on political leaders to "think about the power and emotion" of their words.