Unionists urged to drop boycott

[earl]

Unionists have been asked to reconsider their refusal to join a body set up under the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement.

The DUP and the Ulster Unionists have also been asked to submit proposals to rebrand the British Irish Interparliamentary Body.

The Irish parliamentarian who chairs the body, Niall Blaney TD, said it was "incomplete" without unionists.

He has been in Belfast this week meeting the DUP's Peter Robinson and Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey.

Both unionists parties have refused to take part in the body since its inception in 1990 although Peter Robinson ended his party's boycott in 2006 when he agreed to address it in Killarney.

The 50-strong body comprises TDs, MPs and representatives from Stormont, Edinbugh, Cardiff, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Mr Blaney said the body needs unionists on board to be more effective.

He has invited proposals from unionists on a name change and a significant change in direction away from Northern Ireland politics.

He has suggested a new body could focus on tourism, and shadow the British-Irish Council's work on issues such as drug abuse.

[Jim]

Why are unionist politicians boycotting this anyway?

Its going to be important, it says right there its focusing on tourism which is a big money maker because the yanks love us, but its going to be working on issues like drug abuse and no doubt, drug dealing, drug production, how they get it into either country, how they get it out, how they get it through the border, how they get it across the irish sea, how they get it into Europe, etc.

[Harry]

Unionists should be involved with this but i'm unsure about the issues with it so can't really comment. I know the anglo irish agreement was detested so this could be why. Having a say on input on issues like tourism, drugs etc can only be a good thing surely