DUP called to apologize for secret talks with Sinn Féin

A former Ulster Unionist leader has called on the current DUP leader to apologize on behalf of his party after it was revealed the DUP held secret meetings with Sinn Féin.

Lord Empey said that although Gavin Robinson was too young to take part himself, his party was “misleading the electorate”.

He said he has no problem holding meetings.Also, their secret nature and the fact that they occurred at a time when negotiations with Sinn Féin were against DUP policy.

Officially, the DUP have always said that they never sat down at the negotiating table with Sinn Féin until Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams met at Stormont in March 2007, shortly before the parties began sharing power.

The person in question is Reverend Harold Goode, former president of the Methodist Church. remembered secret negotiations took place in his house in the new book “In a Good Time.”

Rev Goode said Martin McGuinness and Geoffrey Donaldson were present at the meetings. On Tuesday it emerged that East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson was also present at the event.

Wilson admitted to attending secret meetings with Sinn Féinbut he said that this is not a negotiation.

Lord Empey led the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) for five years, but stepped down as party leader in 2010.

His party publicly negotiated with Sinn Féin in the 1990s, a move that was criticized by the DUP.

He described the abuses he, David Trimble and members of his party faced as a result were “considerable”.

Speaking to Nolan Shaw on Tuesday Empey said: “I have no problem with Sammy Wilson meeting Sinn Féin.”

“The problem I have is that he tries to make a distinction between discussing and addressing issues with Sinn Féin and negotiating with Sinn Féin.

“The fact is that his party lied,” he added.

Wilson insists his party does not need an apology and denies the party has been dishonest.

However, Empey said the DUP had “effectively deceived the electorate” by “saying one thing and doing another”.

The DUP “issued statements and they had an election manifesto that they all insisted on, which said they would not meet with members of terrorist organizations,” he said.

“I hope we can talk about all this openly,” he added.

It comes after the son of former UUP member Roy Garland also criticized the party.

Richard Garland’s columnist Father Roy met with republicans around 1995 after the IRA ceasefire.

When a photograph later appeared in the newspaper of him shaking hands with then Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, a sign was erected at the end of his street calling him a traitor.

Richard Garland told BBC Good Morning Ulster His father’s life was threatened by members of banned organizations.

“There is no threat in talking to anyone in the name of trying to make peace and ultimately the DUP should have been willing to be honest about that,” he said.

“There is nothing shameful in this, it does not weaken your trade union movement,” he added.