Survey proof that Alliance vision the best way forward

1.41.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 23rd Mar 2006

The Alliance Party's youth wing has said an Economic and Social Research Council report showing leading politicians are contributing to further sectarianism and antagonism comes as no surprise - and proves that only the Alliance Party has come to terms with a realistic way forward.

Pete Milner, a member of the Executive of both the youth wing and the main party, stated: "No one should doubt that the 'sectarian head-count' approach to politics identified in the report is harming any prospect of progress, and that the requirement for MLAs to designate 'Unionist' or 'Nationalist' sets a very bad precedent for society as a whole. And no one should doubt where the blame lies - with the parties which continue to promote the sectarian consensus."

Cllr Ian James Parsley, also a member of both executives, stated: "Why on earth did it take a £5 million report for everyone to reach the same conclusion the Alliance Party had already reached? Alliance has already proposed the abandonment of the 'sectarian head-count' approach, the ending of designations, and making ministerial office accountable to a qualified majority in the Assembly as a whole. It is not rocket science! Yet other parties refuse to deal with this reality for fear of losing their cushy position in their sectarian trench.

"This is why the Alliance Party's youth wing is rejoining European Young Liberals and re-establishing a society at Queen's. People are seeking a platform for real political, social and economic progress, and we will deliver that. More and more people recognize that politics can no longer stay in the tribal trenches. While the parties supposedly seeking executive power in an Assembly talk about moving on without one or other of them, many people are beginning to think we should move on without any of them.

"People want devolution, but only if it is stable. Only the Alliance Party has presented the proposals to deliver this, as has been proved again in this report. It is up to the other parties to wake up."

ENDS