Daily Dispatch Wednesday 8th November 2006

MAGINNESS: BELFAST NEEDS BALANCE AND STABILITY FOR RECOVERY

SDLP MLA Alban Maginness, who is party group leader on Belfast City Council, said the city can ill afford political destabilisation as a result of boundary changes.
He said: “The SDLP has advised against the super-council plan because we believe it will result in a dangerous sectarian carve-up, especially without firm safeguards on power-sharing and equality being written in. Nowhere is this danger greater than in Belfast.

“We are a city still in recovery, not only from the actual violence of the Troubles, but from the greatest population movements seen in Western Europe since the Second World War. We have a long and bitter history of community division, yet in recent years as the community balance in the City Council has become quite even, we have seen an unprecedented level of co-operation and partnership which is benefiting all of our citizens.

“This fragile balance has been vital and creates a better chance of creating a shared city. To jeopardise that, especially as part of some political side-deal would be irresponsible folly especially in the absence of any agreement on power-sharing safeguards. There should be an explicit recognition of the importance of retaining community balance before final boundary decisions are made.

“We can’t afford to be part of the balkanisation threatening the rest of the north, which is being carved up into areas they can’t even put names on. In a restored Assembly there will be massive cross-party opposition to the super-council plan, with the curious exception of Sinn Fein. In the meantime I hope that Belfast can continue on the road of community partnership.”

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