DUP veteran Sammy Wilson has confirmed he was involved in secret meetings with Sinn Féin at a time when his party was publicly denying such engagement was going on.
Mr Wilson was responding to revelations in the recently published book by former Methodist Church leader Rev Harold Good that he hosted discussions between DUP and Sinn Féin figures in his home in the three years prior to the two parties’ historic agreement to enter powersharing together in 2007.
The DUP long insisted it had not sat down with Sinn Féin prior to March 2007, when then leaders Rev Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams and their respective delegations met shortly before the parties took on lead roles in a restored devolved executive at Stormont.
In his book, In Good Time, Rev Good recalled hosting meetings between Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Martin McGuinness in his home. He said Mr Wilson also participated in some of the discussions.
Mr Wilson confirmed his participation on Tuesday, but he insisted the gatherings were not against the DUP’s publicly stated position.
He said while his party was opposed to negotiating with Sinn Féin in that period, he contended that the meetings facilitated by Rev Good did not constitute negotiations.
He also made clear he had never personally denied taking part.
“I was never, ever asked whether I took part in those meetings or not, so I never involved myself in any denial,” said Mr Wilson.
Appearing on BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme, the East Antrim MP rejected the suggestion that his party had lied to the public and owed people an apology.
“The official party position was that we would not enter into negotiations with Sinn Féin while certain things persisted, and that was right, these were not negotiations, we were just talking to them,” he said.
Asked if he thought he and his party owed the people of Northern Ireland an apology, he said: “No, I don’t, because we didn’t lie to them.”
He said before any negotiation period entered its “final part”, both sides try to establish the other’s position and what they are prepared to accept.
“We weren’t lying to the public,” he said.
“The party had an official position. Individuals within the party, and I was one of them, individuals within the party took opportunities where there were to try and get intelligence, feedback, so that people were in a position to know whether or not there was business to be done.”
He added: “You sought to find out from whatever channels you had whether or not there was any real business to be done.”
