THE MAN tipped to succeed the Rev Ian Paisley as Northern Ireland's First Minister has been warned not to pick "artificial fights" with his Sinn Féin partners in an effort to appease unionist hardliners.
The warning to putative new DUP leader Peter Robinson came from the London Timesin an editorial voicing concern lest Dr Paisley's planned departure in May could come "too soon" for Northern Ireland.
Yesterday's leader reflected the widespread perception that the 81-year-old Dr Paisley jumped "before he could be pushed", sensing he had lost control over the movement he had founded more than three decades ago.
However, the newspaper said the question was whether the cross-party arrangements Dr Paisley had agreed with Sinn Féin would be put into free fall as well.
Possibly reflecting concerns within the British government, the editorial concluded: " The timing . . . is profoundly unfortunate. The new institutions have been reasonably well established but cannot be described as secure.
"It would have been in the best interests of Northern Ireland if the First Minister could have stayed in place for at least another six months, entrenching the DUP-Sinn Féin accord further, dealing with the controversial transfer of policing and justice to the province and seeing through the summer marching season."
This would now fall to Mr Robinson, "who may feel that the way to appease the hardline elements . . . is to look as if he is being tougher with Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness".
However, the paper cautioned: "This would be a dangerous route to travel. It is not only the DUP that has discontented activists. There are plenty within the republican fraternity who contend that Bobby Sands and nine other men did not starve themselves to death so that Mr McGuinness could play the lesser role in a Chuckle Brothers routine within the United Kingdom."
It went on: "If Mr Robinson starts to find artificial fights with those who should be his partners then this will be reciprocated. And if that occurs, a fragile political bargain that serves the wider interests of Protestants and Catholics alike may be imperilled."
Instead, Mr Robinson should state categorically that he intends to make the new arrangements work "and that extremists who disagree with him can take their leave of the DUP".