No going back to past Adams tells public meeting

The Sinn Fein leader was in town to take part in a public meeting in the Ashburn Hotel on Thursday night.

Mr Adams addressed the crowd followed by MEP Bairbre de Brun who gave an update on her work in the European parliament.

The panel, along with Upper Bann Westminster candidate John O'Dowd, then fielded questions from the audience.

Mr Adams said Sinn Fein was the only party to actively engage with the people through public meetings.

"This is where we come from," said the West Belfast MP, "our politics are about empowering the people."

The Sinn Fein leader said the party was progressing and moving towards its goals of equality and a united Ireland.

"The SDLP threw in the towel, they gave up and said policing and justice would never be devolved," he said

"But it has and slowly but surely we are making progress."

He defended his party approaching the SDLP about an electoral pact in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency vote.

He said: "That is what the people on the ground wanted, they asked for us to consider a single nationalist candidate with the SDLP.

"But Margaret Ritchie would not discuss the matter, it's clear the SDLP want a Tory in that seat."

Mr Adams said the party would continue its abstention policy and elected MPs would not take their seats in Westminster.

He went on: "The SDLP say only an active involvement in Westminster can make a difference.

"Yet they have the worst attendance at Westminster, with some of their representatives only attending five per cent of the time.

"We have to puncture this idea that you have to be there [at Westminster] to make the difference.

"We are active abstentionists, we will not take our seats, we will not take the oath, but we will work tirelessly for each constituents needs.

"We are not on the gravy train, we make no personal gain from representing the people, we each draw an average industrial wage."

He concluded his opening address by saying work, with unionists in particular, was moving forward.

He said: "We work with unionists at all levels and yes some are bigoted.

"But from the grass roots through the civic centre and up to the Assembly we are constantly working with them.

"We ask what the conflict was about and if they are not as Irish as us?"

He concluded: "The struggle will not be won by politicians or big actions, but by people working on the ground taking small steps."