Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Anderson’s so-called apology this morning simply isn’t good enough. Whereas she says she apologise for hurt caused, she has not apologised for publishing the tweet. There are echoes here of Michelle O’Neill ‘apologising’ for hurt over Storey funeral issue but no apology for attending the funeral – quite the opposite.
“Calling the victims of La Mon, Enniskillen, Teebane and Bloody Friday “mainly … those who fought Britain’s dirty war” wasn’t clumsy. Blackening the name of all those who through their service in the security forces stood between this society and anarchy as “mainly involved in collusion” was a calculated insult designed to justify the bloody actions of her IRA. Claiming that the pension was designed “mainly 4 British Troops like Paras who murdered ppl on Bloody Sunday & Ballymurphy” was just factually wrong.
“Is this just going to be a case of Sinn Fein retraumatising the victims of their IRA again while the rest of the political and journalistic world collectively shrugs its shoulders and moves on? Or are we finally going to say that such language and conduct is unacceptable for a party of government?
“Previously a Sinn Fein MP, Barry McElduff, had to resign after laughing in the face of victims. Will Anderson be shown the door of the Assembly? Surely that is the absolute minimum any democratic party should demand from Sinn Fein if they hope to retain A scintilla of credibility when it comes to victims’ issues.”