NI 100: Unionist parties criticise centenary stone 'veto'

Stormont's unionist leaders have criticised a decision not to erect a stone marking NI's centenary at Parliament Buildings.

The DUP, Ulster Unionists and TUV made the request to the assembly commission, which includes MLAs from the five main parties, in January.

They accused Sinn Féin of a "shameful exercise" in vetoing the proposal.

Sinn Féin said it opposed the stone as it "reflects only one political perspective".

The assembly commission, which runs Stormont, said the parties had been "unable to reach the required consensus" on the suggestion.

But in a joint statement, Arlene Foster, Steve Aiken and Jim Allister said they believed the proposal was "non-controversial".

"We are dismayed by the refusal of the commission to permit this project, which would not have cost the public purse as our respective parties and MLAs were committed to funding it," they said.

"The refusal arises from the shameful exercise of a veto by Sinn Féin.

"Yet, this is the party that talks most about respect for all communities, but when a modest proposal was made on behalf of the wider unionist community it was callously vetoed."

But a Sinn Féin spokesperson dismissed the criticism from unionist parties and said the stone had been "designed and commissioned by representatives of one tradition".

"It would have been more appropriate if the leaders of the unionist parties, who proposed this centenary stone, had first discussed this proposal with the other parties and the other people they share this building with," they added.

The BBC News NI website has a dedicated section marking the 100th anniversary of the creation of Northern Ireland and partition of the island.

There are special reports on the major figures of the time and the events that shaped modern Ireland available at bbc.co.uk/ni100.

Year '21:You can also explore how Northern Ireland was created a hundred years ago in the company of Tara Mills and Declan Harvey.

Listen to the latest Year '21 podcast on BBC Sounds or catch-up on previous episodes.

"Such an approach to the centenary of partition could embrace the very different perspectives of that event and how best to reflect these perspectives in an inclusive and respectful manner."

They said the stone proposal was "symbolic of past failures of political unionism and of the state", and that those failures were "not a template for the future".

The SDLP and Alliance both confirmed they had supported the proposal.

"It is important that we find a way of reflecting the stark experiences of partition and the formation of Northern Ireland and its impact on people.

"In a spirit of generosity, we were therefore supportive of the proposal which would have come at no cost to taxpayers and clearly had a great deal of meaning for unionists," said an SDLP spokesperson.

"The SDLP believes that there should be a broader review of monuments within the Stormont Estate and Parliament Buildings to reflect the diversity of our society."

An Alliance spokesperson said the project was "a modest plan to commemorate a significant event".

"While we respect everyone has a different view on partition, the centenary should be marked in a shared, inclusive way, with a focus on the future", they added.

Earlier this week, Stormont's Speaker Alex Maskey published details of official assembly events marking the centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland.

It includes a series of talks and several exhibitions reflecting the past 100 years.

When the DUP, UUP and TUV wrote to him in January with the request for the stone to be erected in the grounds of Parliament Buildings, it was referred to the assembly commission in their discussions about how to mark the centenary at Stormont.

An assembly commission spokesperson said all five parties agreed a programme of events for 2021 in mid-February, and that the proposal would be considered further.

"However, the commission was subsequently unable to reach the required consensus on this proposal and it was therefore not agreed," the spokesperson added.