St.Andrew's agreement was built on lies

Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party Sir Reg Empey has said that the publication of Tony Blair's memoirs highlights that the St Andrews Agreement was built on lies.

Commenting Sir Reg said; "The Ulster Unionist Party never signed up to the St Andrews Agreement, because it was negotiated behind closed doors between the Government, the DUP and Sinn Fein. It purported to be 'a great improvement' on the Belfast Agreement. It was not, and we now know that the foundation of St Andrews was built on lie after lie. The DUP, sadly, had their eye wiped in part to satisfy Ian Paisley's vanity.

Tony Blair's admission that particularly in the period from St Andrews to devolution in May 2007, he stretched the truth perhaps past breaking point when dealing with Ian Paisley. He describes how they got passed the post on the matter "with creativity pouring out of every orifice", and how he had the idea that he would reinterpret Paisley's "waffle" in order to satisfy Gerry Adams. This was all going on during a period when Blair claims that he was using alcohol as a prop to get him through. read more