Statement by TUV Braid Councillor Christopher Jamieson:
“My thoughts today are with the many victims who, far from receiving an apology for suffering which was much more profound and long lasting than that of the hooded men, are repeatedly re-traumatised by events like the one we saw at the weekend.
“I am also deeply concerned that the Government seems to be disinterested in protecting the name and reputation of the security services who did so much in Northern Ireland to save lives. Opponents of the state push a distorted and downright inaccurate version of the past where the deeds of the terrorists are forgotten while any real or perceived wrongdoing by those who put themselves in harms way to protect all sections of society receive seemly endless attention from the Government, the courts and the media.
“One suspects that this apology will also result in significant payouts in terms of compensation – while innocent victims of terrorism still face inordinate delays in receiving their modest pensions.”