Commenting on the reappointment of Judith Thompson as Victims’ Commissioner TUV leader Jim Allister said:
“This decision by the Secretary of State is nothing short of scandalous. The Commissioner has become a partisan figure in political terms – supported by Nationalists while every Unionist party has called for her to be replaced. What is remarkable is that she has retained her job in spite of a Unionist party propping up the Government.
“Much more important than the Commissioner’s lack of support within Unionism is her lack of support among innocent victims.
“Her support for a terrorist on the Victims’ Forum at the expense of an elderly innocent victim showed that she was totally unsuited for the job and in light of decisions like that her failure to demand that any victims’ pension must only be available to the innocent and not victim-makers was unsurprising.
“Just last week I wrote to the Secretary of State to tell him that reappointing Judith Thompson would be preposterous and a calculated kick in the teeth for innocent victims. Sadly the Secretary of State has decided to deliver that kick in the full knowledge of the hurt and offence it will cause.
“If the Commissioner had any thought for the feelings of innocent victims she would recognise that her position is untenable and resign.”