Minister accuses DUP of bullying

Margaret Ritchie said she will not be bullied by the DUP

The social development minister has told the DUP she will not be bullied into reversing her decision to withdraw funding for a loyalist initiative.

On Tuesday, Margaret Ritchie said the UDA-linked Conflict Transformation Initiative would not be getting £1.2m from the government.

Finance Minister Peter Robinson rejected Ms Ritchie's claims.

He said she "rushed to make her statement without keeping the conditions set out by the executive".

"Before she made her statement the minister was warned by officials she would be breaching the ministerial code but chose to dismiss the advice," he said.

"Under the new ministerial code every minister is bound by executive decisions and must act in accordance with those decisions.

"The ministerial code has statutory authority. The DSD minister has therefore breached the ministerial code."

Earlier, Ms Ritchie said Mr Robinson's comments were a "fabrication".

"This whole issue about the legal advice is a DUP fabrication and a smokescreen," she said.

"Their ministers failed to recognise this issue or failed to want to address this issue when I originally brought it to the executive table.

'Smokescreen'

"Now they are being challenged and they try to throw up the legal advice as a smokescreen.

"I will not be bullied by Peter Robinson, I will not be bullied by anybody."

A 60-day deadline for the Ulster Defence Association to begin giving up guns expired last Tuesday.

The deadline was set in August after repeated violence linked to the UDA.

However, the UDA said it would adhere to its own timetable for getting rid of its weapons.

In a statement to the assembly on Wednesday, Ms Ritchie said the actions of the UDA had meant the retention of the Conflict Transformation Initiative originally proposed by former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain could not be justified.