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Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

The hon. Gentleman raises a point that perhaps gets to the core of this issue. As has been pointed out, we have emphasised in recent days that support for law and order and the police must be demonstrated not just by joining the Policing Board. We must remember that Sinn Fein joined the Northern Ireland Executive while they were quite prepared to undermine democracy and government. Signing up to the Executive did not make them democrats, and signing up to the Policing Board does not make them supporters of the police. Before they can be considered fit for office—be it in policing and justice, or any in other position—they must support all aspects of policing and urge people to give information to the police. They must also do so in a credible way, instead of simply issuing a statement that enables them to clear a particular hurdle. I hope that that is clear. I am somewhat concerned by the attitude that Ministers from the Prime Minister downward are adopting on this issue. They seem to be saying that this is a new precondition, but it is not. If someone is committed to exclusively peaceful and democratic means and says that there has to be a complete end to criminality, ipso facto, they have to support police. If they are against criminality but do not support the police, in effect, they are saying, ““We’ll organise the stamping out of criminality, through the structures and organisations that we have in place.”” That is unacceptable in a democratic society, and it is certainly an unacceptable view for any party that aspires to be in government.