Woodward urges Ulster policing devolution

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The Northern Ireland secretary has urged Ulster's leaders to "complete devolution" by taking control of criminal justice and policing.

In an interview with ePolitix.com Shaun Woodward said that the issue, which has been a sticking point particularly for the DUP, must be resolved.

The cabinet minister said: "Stage one of devolution has been completed stage two still needs to be finished. Stage two is about giving back to local politicians the powers over policing and criminal justice - the powers that were taken away in 1972 and that is the job we need to finish.

"This is a big thing to do in Northern Ireland, this is not a science this will not follow as night follows day, it is about confidence building and working with the people and politicians to create the climate in which people will make that judgement to take it back.

"So far this year we have had the attempted murder of three police officers and the murder of Paul Quinn for example which historically might have cause a real problem but we have worked through that.

"Our task is to help this executive to succeed in this first stage of devolution and secondly help the parties reach agreement on transferring the final powers."

Just as Peter Robinson prepares to take over as Stormont first minister from Ian Paisley, Woodward warns that dissident republican terrorists are trying to destabilise the devolved government.

He said: "What they are trying to achieve is disruption through upsetting people's confidence but the moment we achieve full devolution there will be no room for them to operate.

"So in order to fulfil the promises made at St Andrews and to guarantee the future security and prosperity of Northern Ireland there is a need for the first and deputy first minister together to work this through and complete the task that the majority of people in Northern Ireland want them to do."

Woodward also said that he strongly believed that the prime minister and the government could recover from recent electoral setbacks.

"For all the quite unpleasant personal attacks he makes on Gordon Brown I can't actually believe that most people looking at Cameron will say that he has a thought-through programme for government which can account for how he is going to account for his £10bn of cuts without destroying public services.

"At the moment people don't have to vote so in a sense they can put that to one side - in an opinion poll right now people can register their discontent but they are not about to vote.

"Of course the local elections have to tell you something and there are very clear messages and concerns around the economy, worries about immigration and so on and you've got to listen to those messages.

"But I do believe that we have a prime minister with a 10 year track record on running an economy which Alan Greenspan recognises as one of the most successful chancellors in history, not just in Britain, but anywhere in the western world.

"And somehow I don't think the British public who I have watched for a number of elections and who I think make the right choice electing a speculative risk-taker who has not thought his programme through."