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Article: Major leads protest against plan to absolve Sinn Fein from loyalty oath NORTHERN IRELAND
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- December 22, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1999 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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JOHN MAJOR led protests yesterday over government moves to allow
the Sinn Fein MPs Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness to use the
Commons without taking an oath of allegiance to the Queen.
The former Prime Minister said the change would be
constitutionally wrong and "a step too far". Tory MPs also protested
to the Speaker, Betty Boothroyd, in the Commons.
She told MPs that ministers had approached her to allow the Sinn
Fein president and his negotiator, Mr McGuinness, to have access to
the Palace of Westminster. "Should ministers now wish the two Sinn
Fein members to have access to some of our facilities it would be for
the Government to put a motion to that effect," she said.
Mr Major ...