Sammy Wilson has revealed that he met with Sinn Féin at a time when the DUP was publicly opposed to negotiations with republicans.
The East Antrim MP has said he never denied such meetings took place ahead of the St Andrews Agreement because he was never asked about them.
Up until now, the DUP maintained it never sat down with Sinn Féin until Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams met at Stormont in March 2007, shortly before their parties began sharing power.
Mr Wilson said the discussions he was involved in with Sinn Féin were exploratory and that his party’s position was that there should be no negotiations with Sinn Féin. He said the meetings he attanded did not constitute negotiations.
“I think that anybody who has observed negotiations, not just in Northern Ireland over the years, but it’s always clear that before you come to final part in negotiations both sides try to find out what are the limits, what are the things that people are prepared to accept, what are they prepared to do,” he told Radio Ulster’s Talkback programme.
He said the purpose of the meetings was “to assess whether there was any real intent on the other side to come to an agreement”.
But historian and Irish News columnist Brian Feeney has said the DUP chief whip’s role was peripheral.
“He may have met someone or possibly two but Sinn Féin knew Sammy was never in the inner circle of DUP counsels,” Mr Feeney said.
“If he did meet anyone from Sinn Féin it was on his own initiative and of zero significance. What was the point of it if he didn’t report back to the DUP?.”
Claims that meetings between senior DUP and Sinn Féin figures emerged in a recently-published book by ex-Methodist Church president Rev Harold Good.
He said the meetings were attended by Martin McGuinness and Jeffrey Donaldson. He said Mr Wilson also participated in some of the discussions.
An SDLP spokesperson said confirmation that the meetings took place “showcases the hypocrisy of the DUP”.
“The party were very quick to criticise other political leaders who took risks to bring peace to the north and foster a political settlement and this again shows the only way to reach a consensus is through open dialogue and compromise,” the party spokesperson said.
