Pat Doherty writes for on the next tests for the peace process

Pat Doherty MP, Vice President, Sinn Féin on the next challenges for the peace process in Socialist Campaign Group News.

Next tests for the peace process

There has been huge political progress in the north of Ireland this year. We now have local politicians taking the tough decisions and working relationships people did not believe could be sustained.

We have renewed momentum in working together as equals, both in the executive and the Assembly, and also across the island of Ireland, where new partnerships are emerging; in developing infrastructure, and in health and education. There is an appetite for even greater co-operation. Many in the business sector are leading the debate on economic harmonisation.

But it must be about much more. Already issues such as a new air hub in Belfast has brought up matters such as workers rights and particularly pay and conditions across Ireland as a whole and the need for balanced regional development.

There remains huge levels of poverty, disadvantage, discrimination and under-investment. We need to be able to do more. Some of this will come through the deepening of relationships between the north and south and there is already substantial financial assistance from both Dublin and Europe to tackle the legacy of partition, conflict and under-funding.

Sinn Féin has led the debate on two key issues for the future regeneration of the six counties and also the deeply neglected North West region. We have argued that greater tax varying powers need to be transferred to the Assembly executive, in terms of corporation tax and economic growth, and also to deliver socio-economic justice.

We have also recognised the real potential of handing over former British Army and RUC sites in order to drive forward local regeneration, support social and affordable housing and build community infrastructure.There are other important challenges for local politicians. Deeply ingrained sectarian tensions and distrust remains. There is still a failure to get the required momentum on human rights, although we do now have a Bill of Rights Forum. Equality must underpin all aspects of good governance.

There are challenges in ensuring support for all victims of the conflict and deal with the past. Following the flawed and partisan nature of the first appointment of a Victims’ Commissioner we now have a new process underway free from the interventions of the Northern Ireland Office.

The British government has still to deal with its responsibility for collusion and frustrating closure for families whose loved ones were murdered. The use of legislation to undermine inquiries into collusion represents a failure of political leadership.One fundamental issue is the transfer of policing and justice powers next year. This is no longer a question of if, but of how and when. Given the experience of policing, and particularly the malign role of the political policing of MI5 and British government intervention, this represents the next big test. Sinn Féin has demonstrated our commitment to the new start to policing. This is huge test for the British government, for unionism and for the policing structures themselves.

It is progress that we have firewalled civic policing from MI5 and protected democratic accountability structures in relation to the PSNI. But it is still early days. There are still some with a destabilising agenda. We need further accountability and part of this is the devolution of policing and justice powers.

There has been enormous progress. Difficult challenges lie ahead, but also opportunities for greater change.