Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“At the weekend the Sunday Independent carried an interview with Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald in which she said there was “every chance” she would have joined the PIRA at the height of its campaign which she described as “justified” and sought to excuse atrocities like Enniskillen and Warrington. Not only that but she defended her role in commemorations for IRA terrorists and even claimed that she was justified in unveiling a statue to Sean Russell because she doesn’t believe that anybody actually thinks he was a Nazi collaborator – in spite of the fact that he died on a Nazi U-Boat while returning from a visit to Berlin in 1940.
“Understandably these comments were met with outrage by victims of the IRA’s brutal campaign but one party has remained silent. As of this morning the Alliance Party has, to my knowledge, yet to issue any public comments on the issue. It certainly doesn’t merit a statement on the party website.
“The silence of the party is all the more telling when contrasted with their response to the Dominic Cummings affair. Two days ago Alliance MP Stephen Farry issued a statement saying:
“This episode further undermines good governance, accountability and public trust. Questions aren’t going away and pressure for the removal of Mr Cummings from public office will continue from Alliance and other parties.”
“On the same day he tweeted that Mr Cummings had displayed “contempt for people.”
“Similarly his party leader Naomi Long has tweeted in reference to the Prime Minister: “I care that other may now ignore good advice and get sick because of his public dissembling and dependency on Cummings”.
“Alliance is quite entitled to call for Mr Cummings’s head if they feel that is merited but isn’t it telling that they have nothing to say about Ms McDonald’s comments?
“What about the “contempt for people” who lost loved ones to the IRA campaign displayed when the Sinn Fein President said that she may well have joined the Provisionals?
“How can victims of terrorism have trust in a government which includes those who defend the campaign which made them victims?
“What about those who ended up in sick beds and worse because of the PIRA campaign which sent almost 1,800 people out into eternity prematurely?
“Alliance attacks the Prime Minister for keeping Mr Cummings as a SpAd while sitting round the cabinet table in Stormont Castle with a party which is led by woman who continues to justify and defend sectarian murder. Not only that but when a defence of the IRA’s blood soaked record is mounted by the leader of their partners in Sinn Fein Alliance don’t even deem it worthy of comment. How telling!”