Dan Dare
02-08-2006, 09:08 PM
From the Incredible but True Dept.
The Labour government has succeeded in guiding through Parliament legislation to enable payments of (taxpayer-funded) ‘attendance’ allowances to Sinn Fein MPs who have vowed never to take their seats in Westminster.
Sinn Fein MPs' funding restored
MPs have voted in favour of two government motions aimed at restoring Westminster allowances worth about £500,000 to Sinn Fein's five MPs.
The allowances were withdrawn last year after allegations of IRA involvement in the Northern Bank robbery. Prime Minister Tony Blair said the government was implementing the recommendations of the Independent Monitoring Commission's report.
The move has been criticised by the Democratic Unionist Party.
The debate on Sinn Fein's allowances lasted several hours on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking during prime minister's questions, Nigel Dodds, DUP MP for North Belfast, asked Mr Blair how the government could justify restoring Sinn Fein's allowances.
"Giving the confirmation of continued illegality, criminality, spying and racketeering, practiced and sanctioned at the highest level, by senior members of Sinn Fein/IRA; will the prime minister note what was in the IMC report and read it instead of spinning it?" he said.
…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/4694984.stm
The Labour government has succeeded in guiding through Parliament legislation to enable payments of (taxpayer-funded) ‘attendance’ allowances to Sinn Fein MPs who have vowed never to take their seats in Westminster.
Sinn Fein MPs' funding restored
MPs have voted in favour of two government motions aimed at restoring Westminster allowances worth about £500,000 to Sinn Fein's five MPs.
The allowances were withdrawn last year after allegations of IRA involvement in the Northern Bank robbery. Prime Minister Tony Blair said the government was implementing the recommendations of the Independent Monitoring Commission's report.
The move has been criticised by the Democratic Unionist Party.
The debate on Sinn Fein's allowances lasted several hours on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking during prime minister's questions, Nigel Dodds, DUP MP for North Belfast, asked Mr Blair how the government could justify restoring Sinn Fein's allowances.
"Giving the confirmation of continued illegality, criminality, spying and racketeering, practiced and sanctioned at the highest level, by senior members of Sinn Fein/IRA; will the prime minister note what was in the IMC report and read it instead of spinning it?" he said.
…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/4694984.stm