:00:00. > :00:25.Tonight, the political storm continues with Gerry Adams still in
:00:26. > :00:28.custody here at the serious crime suite at Antrim Police Station,
:00:29. > :00:38.where he's being questioned about the IRA abduction and murder of
:00:39. > :00:41.Jean. McConville. Sinn Fein claims the arrest is politically motivated
:00:42. > :00:44.and says the timing is designed to do as much electoral damage to the
:00:45. > :00:47.party as possible. We'll have analysis from Belfast and Dublin.
:00:48. > :00:51.Also tonight, head-to-head with Anna Lo and Jim Allister, as Alliance
:00:52. > :00:58.takes on the TUV in the first of our Euro election debates. And I have
:00:59. > :01:04.come to Scotland to see if Alex Salmond's independence dream can
:01:05. > :01:07.make it past the winning post. And in Commentators' Corner, it's the
:01:08. > :01:10.return of Professors Wilford and Heenan with their take on events.
:01:11. > :01:16.And you can, of course, join the debate on Twitter - that's
:01:17. > :01:19.@BBCtheview. The Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams,
:01:20. > :01:25.remains in custody at Antrim PSNI station. It's the first time in the
:01:26. > :01:28.modern era that the leader of a mainstream party in Ireland has been
:01:29. > :01:31.arrested and questioned in such circumstances. And it's the latest
:01:32. > :01:34.development in the painful saga to find those responsible for the
:01:35. > :01:38.abduction and murder of Jean McConville in 1972. Mr Adams, who
:01:39. > :01:40.has always denied any involvement in the case, had arranged to meet
:01:41. > :01:45.detectives in Antrim yesterday evening. The fact that he was
:01:46. > :01:53.arrested and detained has led his party to claim political motives
:01:54. > :01:59.were behind the move. It is my opinion that those elements, old bad
:02:00. > :02:04.elements within the PSNI and reactionary elements within unionism
:02:05. > :02:13.have politically coalesced in the choice of timing of this interview.
:02:14. > :02:15.What is essential is that the PSNI are able to discharge their
:02:16. > :02:19.responsibilities without any fear of the consequences if it involves
:02:20. > :02:23.political people. Therefore the central issue and the strengthening
:02:24. > :02:32.of the political process is the fact that no one is above the law. I see
:02:33. > :02:36.his arrest as a deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of the
:02:37. > :02:42.elections due to take pace in three weeks' time north and south on this
:02:43. > :02:46.island. So how is the continuing saga of Mr Adams' alleged former
:02:47. > :02:49.life in the IRA playing out on both sides of the border? With me in the
:02:50. > :02:53.studio is our Political Editor, Mark Devenport, who wrote a biography of
:02:54. > :03:00.Mr Adams in 1997 and in Dublin is the Irish Times Political Editor,
:03:01. > :03:07.Stephen Collins. How surprised wake you at the timing and nature of the
:03:08. > :03:11.arrests of Mr Adams? I suppose we had forewarning in that we had the
:03:12. > :03:17.arrest and subsequent charging of Ivor Bell, who was an active
:03:18. > :03:21.Republican in the same area of Belfast as Mr Adams around that
:03:22. > :03:25.time. And we had the offer from Gerry Adams to talk to the police.
:03:26. > :03:30.But given the lack of Presidents for a party leader in what is now a
:03:31. > :03:37.mainstream party being arrested for such a serious crime, it was a
:03:38. > :03:41.shock. There was also bad shock that he was not simply being interviewed
:03:42. > :03:45.under caution, despite the fact that he said he had gone voluntarily,
:03:46. > :03:49.that the police moved in and arrested him and have now held him
:03:50. > :03:59.overnight. I suppose we should not be surprised at the reaction of
:04:00. > :04:01.colleagues of Mr Adams, including we believe a conversation between
:04:02. > :04:06.Martin McGuinness and the Prime Minister? Yes, Sinn Fein put out
:04:07. > :04:11.their account of a conversation in which Martin McGuinness said he
:04:12. > :04:16.supports the PSNI energetically pursuing all investigations but that
:04:17. > :04:19.some investigation said he believed or pursued more vigorously than
:04:20. > :04:34.others. A sickly contrasting the handling of this case with cases
:04:35. > :04:40.like the killing in Ballymurphy. What have you learned about the IRA
:04:41. > :04:45.past of Gerry Adams when you're writing biography? Gerry Adams has
:04:46. > :04:51.denied having any membership of the IRA. It was pretty clear when we
:04:52. > :04:56.researched the biography that so far as security sources were concerned
:04:57. > :05:01.that that did not stack up. We got quite a lot of Corporation from
:05:02. > :05:06.those security sources. They claimed that in the early 1970s when Mr
:05:07. > :05:11.Adams was arrested during internment, that he admitted to IRA
:05:12. > :05:14.membership. But that admission because of the circumstances of the
:05:15. > :05:21.interview would never stand up in a court of law. He was then
:05:22. > :05:23.subsequently charged in 1978 with IRA membership of the case was
:05:24. > :05:28.dropped for lack of sufficient evidence. But if you speak to
:05:29. > :05:35.anyone, police or army, they would take a view on that denial that he
:05:36. > :05:39.would not want to say anything that might have landed him in court once
:05:40. > :05:46.again rather than actually giving it any credence. Stephen Collins, how
:05:47. > :05:49.is this development being viewed in the Republic? It came as a big
:05:50. > :05:53.surprise, the notion of a political leader being interviewed, being
:05:54. > :05:57.arrested and questioned about the murder is something new. Some
:05:58. > :06:05.political leaders down here had been under pressure, the Labour leader,
:06:06. > :06:11.his Deputy Prime Minister was under pressure for not doing as well as
:06:12. > :06:16.Sinn Fein. So this arrest has come as a shock to the system. The other
:06:17. > :06:22.parties will certainly try to capitalise on it. Taoiseach and
:06:23. > :06:25.Kenny was asked about it today and refuse to go into the rights and
:06:26. > :06:31.wrongs of his arrest. But he spoke about the McConville case and the
:06:32. > :06:36.fact that a widowed mother of ten was taken away and murdered. Piano
:06:37. > :06:43.foil have come in as well and attacked the deputy leader of Sinn
:06:44. > :06:50.Fein who was seen in the Republic is perhaps a softer image of Sinn Fein.
:06:51. > :06:58.She attacked the PSNI and is in town now herself being attacked for
:06:59. > :07:04.undermining the PSNI by the two main parties here. What do you make of
:07:05. > :07:11.the timing, Sinn Fein activist say it is a deliberate attempt to
:07:12. > :07:16.undermine the elections. Sinn Fein had been doing well in the opinion
:07:17. > :07:22.polls here in both European and local elections. It looked as if
:07:23. > :07:25.they were getting around 20% of the vote which would give them three
:07:26. > :07:30.seats in the European elections and perhaps trouble the number of
:07:31. > :07:34.council seats. I think this episode is a reminder of the past of the
:07:35. > :07:38.republican movement, past they do not refer to very much. You see the
:07:39. > :07:44.posters on the lamp post down here and you would not guess where Sinn
:07:45. > :07:49.Fein came from and the journey they have made. So it is a reminder to
:07:50. > :07:53.people who may not know much about the past Sinn Fein, what has
:07:54. > :07:58.happened. And it certainly cannot be good for them. I think it will give
:07:59. > :08:03.their opponents a lot of opposition and might cause people to question
:08:04. > :08:10.their credentials. So it has come at a bad time for them. What about the
:08:11. > :08:15.image of Gerry Adams as the leader himself, what personal damage could
:08:16. > :08:19.do to him? I'd say it could do some personal damage but it is not any
:08:20. > :08:25.great surprise. People know that he has been around for a long time and
:08:26. > :08:30.it is generally assumed that he was involved with the IRA otherwise he
:08:31. > :08:34.would not have had the major role he had in the peace process. But what
:08:35. > :08:38.might do more damage in the Republic is the fact that figures like Mary
:08:39. > :08:42.Lou McDonald, who are not associated at all with the trouble is, I now
:08:43. > :08:46.been dragged into it because they are defending Gerry Adams and
:08:47. > :08:56.attacking the PSNI, raising all kinds of issues which Sinn Fein seem
:08:57. > :08:59.to have moved away from. Just one final question, what are the
:09:00. > :09:04.implications politically, Mark, of what happens next. I suppose he will
:09:05. > :09:12.either presumably be released or charged. It will depend largely on
:09:13. > :09:15.what happens next. In terms of the electoral standing in the north,
:09:16. > :09:21.that is less prone to be affected by developments of this kind are no
:09:22. > :09:25.growth in the South. So I think the Sinn Fein machine is here and will
:09:26. > :09:31.go ahead. It is possible but if Gerry Adams walks away and there is
:09:32. > :09:34.no charge brought against him, he will say he has answered all the
:09:35. > :09:41.questions and chin fame could even get a bit of sympathy vote -- Sinn
:09:42. > :09:44.Fein. Mark Devenport and Stephen Collins, thank you.
:09:45. > :09:47.Now, what would an independent Scotland look like? Will there be
:09:48. > :09:49.customs checkpoints? What will the currency be? We sent our Political
:09:50. > :09:54.Correspondent, Gareth Gordon, in search of the answers. And what he
:09:55. > :09:58.found was a land full of yet more questions, and little certainty
:09:59. > :10:03.about what a yes vote might mean for Scots or for us when travelling
:10:04. > :10:12.there. Early morning in the port of line
:10:13. > :10:21.and Scotland looms once more. -- Larne. The captain goes back and
:10:22. > :10:24.forth several times a week. Soon his fellow Scots will decide if the
:10:25. > :10:29.journey becomes international. But the way ahead is not
:10:30. > :10:34.straightforward. If it is a yes vote will we have to change or
:10:35. > :10:42.passports, how will that affect customers? How will it affect taxes,
:10:43. > :10:46.perhaps. For example if you're on the Dublin to Liverpool one, at the
:10:47. > :10:54.moment there is the possibility that seafarers can get back there income
:10:55. > :10:59.tax. Might it be the same for Scotland? We do not know. There are
:11:00. > :11:04.so many questions that have not been answered yet. The cruel sports a
:11:05. > :11:10.submarine at Faslane, another thing which could be a thing of the past
:11:11. > :11:23.if Scotland votes yes in September. On a clear day you can see Scrabble
:11:24. > :11:30.Tower. There are many links with Donaghadee. I'm worried about my
:11:31. > :11:37.pension and the defence of the country. What happens the day after
:11:38. > :11:43.it becomes independent. Do the Navy and RAF go? Then there would be no
:11:44. > :11:53.defence for the country whatsoever. So what are the odds was Mac they
:11:54. > :11:55.should know here at this racecourse. The Scottish saltire is flanked by
:11:56. > :12:05.union flags, but for how much longer? There's no money about for
:12:06. > :12:10.it just now. So the no vote is likely to prevail? It looks that
:12:11. > :12:17.way. And bookies are never wrong was Mac sometimes. But others believe
:12:18. > :12:22.that the yes campaign is coming up on the rails. It could soon be neck
:12:23. > :12:30.and neck. Time to check the latest form. It is all in the name. And
:12:31. > :12:33.there is a horse running today called opt out. That could be an
:12:34. > :12:46.omen. It is not one of the favourites but I'm told it is a good
:12:47. > :12:56.long shot that. -- Bret. ?5 each way on Opt Out, please. Based on
:12:57. > :13:00.ability. If Opt Out was an omen, let's hope
:13:01. > :13:03.Alex Salmond wasn't watching, it finished nowhere. The punters in
:13:04. > :13:10.general weren't much sold on independence. It's a ridiculous idea
:13:11. > :13:14.in a country that will go downhill. I like the relationships with the
:13:15. > :13:19.other parts of Britain. I don't see why we need to be independent to
:13:20. > :13:24.better our country. We are too small. I would like it but I don't
:13:25. > :13:30.know. I haven't made a decision. Rodney Wallace from Temple Patrick
:13:31. > :13:34.has lived in Ayr from several years and he's concerned about a lack of
:13:35. > :13:41.hard information. I'm keeping an open mind. I want to know the facts.
:13:42. > :13:45.I doubt whether we'll get a consensus or we'll definitely know
:13:46. > :13:49.what is going to happen. It will be a motion decision as to whether
:13:50. > :13:55.people want Scotland to go alone or not. It has to be based on more than
:13:56. > :13:59.a motion? I would agree, but I can't see the way the debate is going at
:14:00. > :14:06.the my opinion, we won't know enough of the facts. We were approached by
:14:07. > :14:14.an SNP councillor who disagrees. They say, I can't make up my mind
:14:15. > :14:19.just now, some may well on 18th September go to the ballot box and
:14:20. > :14:22.vote with their heart, not their heads, thinking about the old
:14:23. > :14:26.British pound, the colonial thing. We are keeping the Queen, the
:14:27. > :14:31.monarchy and the European Union. In Stranraer, this former policeman
:14:32. > :14:37.who also represents the SNP admits there's confusion, but denies it's
:14:38. > :14:44.the fault of the yes campaign. It's not them saying there'll be
:14:45. > :14:52.passport checks and all the rest of it. If that was to happen, it's not
:14:53. > :14:57.going to be the customs that puts it up. Will there be customs and
:14:58. > :15:02.checkpoints? Certainly not on this site. I can't answer for what the
:15:03. > :15:08.rest of the UK government would do. That doesn't reashire Robert who
:15:09. > :15:15.says if the answer ise, he may leave -- reassure. I would consider going
:15:16. > :15:20.back to Donaghee if it doesn't go that way. The Captain says the
:15:21. > :15:24.stakes couldn't be higher. It's not a case if we don't like it we can
:15:25. > :15:30.change our minds and rejoin in five years. It's a colossal decision, it
:15:31. > :15:35.really is. The referendum is the most important election the people
:15:36. > :15:40.of Scotland will ever take part in. Surely it's a concern then that so
:15:41. > :15:43.many people will make their choice without being fully armed with all
:15:44. > :15:48.the facts they need. Just in case you hadn't noticed, we
:15:49. > :15:51.are in the middled of a double election campaign in. Three weeks'
:15:52. > :15:56.time, the polls will have closed in the local government and European
:15:57. > :16:00.elections. Between now and then on the View, we'll hear from the
:16:01. > :16:07.candidates. Anna Lowe from the Alliance Party and Jim Allister of
:16:08. > :16:11.the TUV who was elected for the DUP in 2004. You are both welcome to the
:16:12. > :16:16.programme. Jim Allister, why should people vote for you on May 2 #27bed
:16:17. > :16:19.first of all? Two reasons, first to improve the representation in
:16:20. > :16:22.Brussels. Most people in Northern Ireland wonder why they haven't
:16:23. > :16:28.heard, apart from at election time, of the three sitting MEPs. That
:16:29. > :16:32.conveys a certain message. They have heard of Jim Allister and what he
:16:33. > :16:35.does in politics. Secondly, it's a perfect opportunity for the people
:16:36. > :16:39.of Northern Ireland to pass their verdict on the dismal performance of
:16:40. > :16:43.Stormont and how better to do that than to vote for the sing of
:16:44. > :16:47.effective voice of opposition in Stormont who, despite the fact we
:16:48. > :16:53.are in opposition, has been able to make my mark there. People want a
:16:54. > :17:00.strong voice, they know they'll get it with Jim Allister. Anna Lowe, why
:17:01. > :17:03.should people give you preference? I'm pro-Europe and I believe
:17:04. > :17:07.Europe's done a lot for Northern Ireland to help it to improve
:17:08. > :17:15.infrastructure and the environment and the economy. It's a huge market,
:17:16. > :17:23.500 million people, 730 billion pounds worth of the economy, 509% of
:17:24. > :17:31.our trade is within Europe and 70,000 jobs, 90,000 jobs dependent
:17:32. > :17:35.on the EU -- 50% of our trade. We'll represent everyone. We are a cross
:17:36. > :17:38.community party and will work for the best interests of the society as
:17:39. > :17:43.a whole. Jim Allister, you are clearly a
:17:44. > :17:47.Euro-sceptic. Where would you stand in the future if there should be a
:17:48. > :17:52.UK referendum on EU membership? Do you want us out? I want a referendum
:17:53. > :18:00.and yes, I think we'd be better off out because we are currently playing
:18:01. > :18:03.?17 billion a year of hard-earned UK taxpayers' money into the black hole
:18:04. > :18:12.that is the EU. We get back less than half. That means that every day
:18:13. > :18:18.the EU is costing us ?23.6 million. That's ?1 million for every hour. On
:18:19. > :18:22.top of that, it dictates an sets our immigration policy, our social
:18:23. > :18:26.policy, our trade policy. You cannot even make a trade agreement with
:18:27. > :18:31.another nation without it being through the EU. Anna talks about 50%
:18:32. > :18:37.of the trade being with the other EU member states. It's not. It's fallen
:18:38. > :18:43.now to below 43% and is falling. The main trading parter ins are outside
:18:44. > :18:47.the EU, so there is just as other countries, like Norway and
:18:48. > :18:54.Switzerland have done well outside the EU, so would the United Kingdom
:18:55. > :18:58.and the sooner we establish our own national sovereignty, the better.
:18:59. > :19:01.There is a contradiction because you are asking for people to vote grour
:19:02. > :19:04.to be their representative in a place you don't actually support,
:19:05. > :19:10.somewhere you want to destroy and pull out of. That's a mixed message?
:19:11. > :19:14.It's a clear message that if you want someone who'll fight for you,
:19:15. > :19:19.so long as we are there to get the best deal, better to send somebody
:19:20. > :19:24.who's no ideological commitment to it just as I haven't to the DUP,
:19:25. > :19:27.Sinn Fein and Stormont. I look forward to this not being a
:19:28. > :19:31.five-year term and I look forward to this being a shortened term by
:19:32. > :19:36.virtue of a referendum which will take us out of the EU. Anna Lo, you
:19:37. > :19:44.don't want to see a referendum? No. We don't. I think it will be
:19:45. > :19:49.disastrous if we left the EU. Think of the 90,000 jobs. Where are
:19:50. > :20:01.you going to find jobs for these people? Look at the farming
:20:02. > :20:10.community, without CAP, how are we going to produce our food. The EU's
:20:11. > :20:14.paid 2 billion euros since 1995 to help us with peace and
:20:15. > :20:21.reconciliation. We have got more out of Europe than really we in Northern
:20:22. > :20:25.Ireland have to put into Europe. What do you make of the figureses
:20:26. > :20:31.that the net cost is something like ?8 billion a year? I think 70% of
:20:32. > :20:38.our business sectors want us to stay in Europe. If you're out of Europe,
:20:39. > :20:44.you'll not get a look into trading with the EU. If you want to, you
:20:45. > :20:50.still have to have the same standards, same quality, before you
:20:51. > :20:56.can trade. Sorry, Anna, your figures are so wrong. Let's talk about the
:20:57. > :21:03.culture policy, Jim Allister? Just a moment. The view has been
:21:04. > :21:07.demonstrated to be utterly flawed because the Alliance Party wanted us
:21:08. > :21:13.to join the euro and we have seen how disastrous that's been and how
:21:14. > :21:18.it would have been for us. Of course Anna wants us to join the bankrupt
:21:19. > :21:23.Irish Republic. I'm going to ask Anna Lo about the euro in a moment.
:21:24. > :21:30.I wonder what you make of the figures in the common agricultural
:21:31. > :21:34.policy, it's worth upward of ?250 million a year for farmers and the
:21:35. > :21:39.rural economy. What would we do as far as the agricultural spend is
:21:40. > :21:42.concerned? We'd have our share of the ?17 billion that we'd no
:21:43. > :21:45.longberg wasting. Can you guarantee that a British Government and
:21:46. > :21:49.Westminster would give us that? It would sustain food production, of
:21:50. > :21:52.course it would and there'd still be the option of maintaining the single
:21:53. > :21:58.payment which is the bedrock of that. If you aren't wasting ?17
:21:59. > :22:03.billion on supporting other nations in the European Union, you have that
:22:04. > :22:07.money to support your own people. Even though it would be under huge
:22:08. > :22:12.pressure for education and health? Of course, but it's an extra ?17
:22:13. > :22:16.billion and even we in Northern Ireland who maybe get back more of
:22:17. > :22:25.our own money than other parts of the UK in the EU, even we are a net
:22:26. > :22:29.trader. If the UK left the EU, we'd be totally isolated. The business
:22:30. > :22:34.sector don't want us to lead. The US government has been talking about
:22:35. > :22:39.not wanting us to leave Europe. It's going to be really very, very bad
:22:40. > :22:45.and dangerous even to talk about leaving the EU because with inward
:22:46. > :22:49.investment, people look at Northern Ireland as a favourable place
:22:50. > :22:55.because we are English-speaking and we are also within the EU. Without
:22:56. > :23:01.the EU, they are going to go to Holland, the Republic of Ireland.
:23:02. > :23:07.We'd still be a trading nation, without the shackles. How do you
:23:08. > :23:10.counter Jim Allister's argument that basically if we pulled out of the
:23:11. > :23:13.Europe, we could have another ?8.6 billion a year of our own money to
:23:14. > :23:18.spend on things like supporting farmers? Yes, but then we'll lose
:23:19. > :23:22.all the trade with the EU. Why would you lose the trade? Why does that
:23:23. > :23:28.follow? If you are not within the single market, you will not get as
:23:29. > :23:32.easily as we can now to get the trade with Europe. We trade with
:23:33. > :23:35.other countries that aren't in the European Union? Well, with
:23:36. > :23:44.difficulties. I have people ringing me up from dairy companies to say
:23:45. > :23:49.they couldn't get into China because the regulation there is are so
:23:50. > :23:55.different to ours. When you are within Europe, you have the common
:23:56. > :23:58.quality standard, we can trade whenever we want and produce
:23:59. > :24:02.products the way we want because it's all standardised. We have a
:24:03. > :24:06.huge trade deficit with the rest of the EU. The growth market for the
:24:07. > :24:10.trade is with the Brit countries, not with the EU. The EU is a break
:24:11. > :24:22.on our development and imposes all the shackles. That's not true. They
:24:23. > :24:27.would entangle us more in that just as they wanted to in the disastrous
:24:28. > :24:32.Europe. Europe's helped us an awful lot in improving our environment.
:24:33. > :24:39.Without Europe, we would not have the same clean water, clean air and
:24:40. > :24:46.recycling. I want to ask you both about your own chances in this
:24:47. > :24:51.election. Anna Lo, your party came sixth last time with 5.5%, 27,000
:24:52. > :24:56.votes. You would need an electric travel earthquake to win a seat this
:24:57. > :25:03.time? Well, we'll do our best and I think we have done very well. In
:25:04. > :25:11.south Belfast, I got 20% of the vote and I have a track record of being
:25:12. > :25:16.very hard-working and easy certainly present a progressive, modern and
:25:17. > :25:21.inclusive image of Northern Ireland in Europe. Your party leader told me
:25:22. > :25:26.on the day your launched your campaign that he was confident you'd
:25:27. > :25:33.better your party's best ever performance, 6.8% in 1979. That oo
:25:34. > :25:37.your real target isn't it? We'd like to increase our representation. So
:25:38. > :25:42.you don't expect to win the seat? We'll do our best. Jim Allister, do
:25:43. > :25:48.you seriously expect to win a seat, your votes falling from 32% in 2004
:25:49. > :25:54.when you were the DUP candidate to 13.7% in 2009? You managed to lose
:25:55. > :25:58.110,000 votes? And I stunned the commentators by getting 66,000
:25:59. > :26:05.votes, being within touching distance. The other 76 five years
:26:06. > :26:09.earlier... I'm fighting to win and I believe the tide is in my favour
:26:10. > :26:13.because people is seen what one determined TV voice can do in
:26:14. > :26:19.Stormont and realise they can have the same in Brussels. Be honest, you
:26:20. > :26:23.are fighting for... It's one that's... Fifth place would be good?
:26:24. > :26:26.I'm not fighting for fifth, I'm fighting to win. I believe the
:26:27. > :26:31.message is resonating more and more with people who every day see the
:26:32. > :26:36.skullduggery of the peace process, see all the corruption that went on
:26:37. > :26:39.there and are gives gusted with the fact that we have a political
:26:40. > :26:45.system. We are not even allowed an opposition. And the challenge of
:26:46. > :26:51.course from some of your opponents is that by standing and potentially
:26:52. > :26:55.doing well, you could shred the unionist vote and see one single
:26:56. > :27:00.unionist and two nationalists? Nonsense. You cannot split a PR
:27:01. > :27:03.vote, provided people use their preferences through the unionists.
:27:04. > :27:07.Provided they turn out to vote and they transfer? So of course if they
:27:08. > :27:11.don't turn out to vote, but but being in the field and affording
:27:12. > :27:15.another colour and opportunity, I'm likely to attract more people to
:27:16. > :27:21.vote. Let me remind you, in the last time, it was the 25,000 transfers
:27:22. > :27:27.from Jim Allister to Diane Dodds that got her ahead of the SDLP. She
:27:28. > :27:32.wouldn't have been an MEP without the TUV vote the last time. So those
:27:33. > :27:37.who talk about shredding the vote were very glad when I maximised the
:27:38. > :27:41.vote. Do you think you could have scared off pro-unionist voters who
:27:42. > :27:46.might have backed you, or transferred to you, before you made
:27:47. > :27:55.your comments about supporting the United Ireland several weeks ago?
:27:56. > :28:04.The Alliance party support the principle of consent. My view is
:28:05. > :28:13.very long time. Why did you express it was Mac I was asked a question
:28:14. > :28:19.and I gave that answer. But I very much support the principle of
:28:20. > :28:22.consent. That means the status of Northern Ireland will always be
:28:23. > :28:28.decided by the people of Northern Ireland. I refuse to be pigeonholed
:28:29. > :28:38.into either the nationalist or Unionist camp. Well you have said
:28:39. > :28:45.you support a united Ireland. In the very long term, I said it might not
:28:46. > :28:52.even happen in my lifetime. I refuse to be rich and hold onto the
:28:53. > :28:59.Unionist or nationalist camps because I am not. . But my
:29:00. > :29:06.motivation into politics is about building a shared society. That is
:29:07. > :29:11.why I joined the Alliance party. Just ask you both about Gerry Adams,
:29:12. > :29:14.Sinn Fein said the arrest was an attempt to influence the outcome of
:29:15. > :29:19.the elections. Do you think it will? I think it is nothing to do
:29:20. > :29:23.with that. My only surprise and question is why it took so long to
:29:24. > :29:34.arrest Gerry Adams to investigate this gruesome murder. Since -- Sinn
:29:35. > :29:45.Fein said the timing agenda for them then to portray that as political
:29:46. > :29:51.intervention is nonsense. And Martin McGuinness was on the phone to David
:29:52. > :29:59.Cameron. The murder of Jean McConville was very tragic, a young
:30:00. > :30:02.woman leaving behind ten children. There is a police investigation
:30:03. > :30:08.going on and due process and the rule of law must be allowed to
:30:09. > :30:12.continue. Thank you both. And next week we'll hear from the Ulster
:30:13. > :30:15.Unionist and SDLP candidates. So, as election fever begins to kick in,
:30:16. > :30:18.let's find out what our two professors think of it all in
:30:19. > :30:29.Commentators' Corner. It's a welcome return for Deirdre Heenan and Rick
:30:30. > :30:36.Wilford. Good to see you both. The story which is dominated the news
:30:37. > :30:40.agenda for the last 24 hours is the arrest of Gerry Adams. Could it
:30:41. > :30:46.influence the outcome of the elections? I do not think in the
:30:47. > :30:50.North except if Gerry Adams was to be charged. I think being arrested
:30:51. > :30:58.and questioned is one thing and that has created our wobble. If he were
:30:59. > :31:02.to be charged I think that would be seismic and in those circumstances
:31:03. > :31:07.it would have an effect on Sinn Fein support in the Republic. But I'm
:31:08. > :31:13.less certain that it could have any effect in the North. But this
:31:14. > :31:24.accusation of political policing is difficult to swallow. For instance,
:31:25. > :31:27.had the PSNI deferred arresting him, which I do not think within the
:31:28. > :31:35.Sinn Fein version the script, until after the election and it then
:31:36. > :31:41.transpired that they had been seen to make a decision not to intervene,
:31:42. > :31:46.that would be a much more explicit instance I think of so-called
:31:47. > :31:55.political policing. The timing I think is of Gerry Adams's setting,
:31:56. > :31:58.not the PSNI. I think even seasoned political commentators say they are
:31:59. > :32:02.surprised and it is without precedent. Conspiracy theorists
:32:03. > :32:06.would be having a field day. They could say that Sinn Fein
:32:07. > :32:12.choreographed this carefully with that trip to Antrim and the
:32:13. > :32:17.interview with ITE. And clearly from the Fury, it has not happened in the
:32:18. > :32:23.way they thought. We only had to listen to Mary Lou McDonald, her
:32:24. > :32:29.fury clear to see. Blaming the old guard, blaming Jim Allister, naming
:32:30. > :32:34.everyone. They seem to be caught on the hop by this. And really I think
:32:35. > :32:39.it is not what they expected to happen. Other conspiracy theorists
:32:40. > :32:42.would say it is exactly what they wanted to happen because this has
:32:43. > :32:46.dogged Gerry Adams and will allow him once and for all to clear his
:32:47. > :32:50.name before the elections and he could even get a bounce out of it, a
:32:51. > :32:55.sympathy vote. What we do not know what the outcome will be. But I
:32:56. > :32:59.think for the younger voters in the South who really know nothing about
:33:00. > :33:05.the violence in the north, this will be an eye-opener for them and could
:33:06. > :33:10.jeopardise that younger vote. This is a different story for them to
:33:11. > :33:16.have two digests. It could bounce badly for Sinn Fein but also bounce
:33:17. > :33:21.very well for them. I think what matters is what happens in the next
:33:22. > :33:30.24 hours. I am surprised that he has been held for a second night because
:33:31. > :33:36.it suggests to me, I'm not privy to what is going on, but it does
:33:37. > :33:40.suggest or imply that there could be more to this than the Boston takes.
:33:41. > :33:45.And for Martin McGuinness to be speaking about the dark side of the
:33:46. > :33:53.PSNI, we have not heard that kind of language for a long time. But they
:33:54. > :33:57.are on the Policing Board. That is a whole other discussion! Thank you
:33:58. > :34:01.both. That's it from The View for this week. Join me for Sunday
:34:02. > :34:07.Politics at 11.35 here on BBC One. For now, though, goodbye.