Sinn Fein urged to reflect on role played by Provisional IRA during Troubles
It came during a meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board on Thursday which focused on issues faced by police in their role dealing with legacy.
Chief Constable Jon Boutcher outlined his concerns around the costs in terms of financial and staffing resources, but also reputational damage because they had not been funded sufficiently to deal with legacy.
Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher was speaking during a Northern Ireland Policing Board meeting (Liam McBurney/PA)
He urged more resources as well as a focus on victims, and that an approach to dealing with the past be agreed.
Dealing with the past was not included in the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, and subsequent deals, including the Stormont House accord in 2014, were not progressed.
Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly responded to Mr Boutcher, hailing what he said seemed to be a 'new philosophy of approach' and potentially a 'watershed moment'.
'I have sat in front of many chief constables and you're the first chief constable who has said we need to change this in a radical way,' he said.
Mr Kelly also said that while 'nothing is perfect', the Stormont House Agreement saw most of the parties and the British and Irish governments in agreement.
He blamed the UK for 'pulling out' of that agreement.
But DUP MLA Trevor Clarke said many in the unionist community felt 'they were let down particularly by Sinn Fein and others', and in reference to the party's historic relationship with the Provisional IRA, said they were 'the biggest cause of victims in Northern Ireland'.
DUP MLA Trevor Clarke said many in the unionist community felt 'they were let down particularly by Sinn Fein' (Liam McBurney/PA)
'It seems ironic listening to Gerry speak at the minute that there is no reflection on what part Sinn Fein and the IRA played during the Troubles,' he said.
'I know it's not Stormont, it's not a political debating chamber but I think it has to be said that if everyone is to be honest and everyone wants to be honest, then everyone should be honest and should all come to the table honest in terms of the parts that they played during the Troubles, as opposed to working on the small numbers that the security forces were involved in.
'I certainly want to put on record our party's concerns around the process, sympathies with police in how they deal with it, but there is a section of the community will never be satisfied unless the victim makers stand in the courts and actually own up to their part as well.'
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South Wales Argus
24 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
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Nigel Farage calls for ‘re-industrialisation' of Wales
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'As we increase military spending and as we attempt a house building programme in Wales, and even more so in England, of massive proportions, just to catch up with the population explosion over the last 20 years, we are going to need a lot of steel.' The Reform leader said 'specific types of coal' are needed in the UK, particularly for a new blast furnace. 'I'm not saying let's open all of the pits,' he said. 'What I am saying is coal, specific types of coal for certain uses that we still need in this country – and we certainly will need for the blast furnaces here – we should be producing ourselves rather than importing.' While he acknowledged 'mining is dangerous', Mr Farage said the industry could provide well-paying jobs. The Reform leader acknowledged the plan to open a new furnace would cost 'in the low billions' and would be 'no easy thing'. 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Political opponents hit out at Reform's plans, with a Welsh Labour spokesperson saying the people of Wales would 'see through' Mr Farage's false hopes and promises. 'His answer is to bring back the mines. The only thing Nigel Farage is trying to mine is votes from communities that have already gone through tough times,' they said. 'Nigel Farage has today brought his fantasy politics and magic money tree to Port Talbot. He's gambling with real people's livelihoods.' Darren Millar, leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd, accused Mr Farage of making 'wild promises' without speaking to Tata. Welsh Liberal Democrat MP David Chadwick argued mining was Wales' past, not its future. 'My relatives in South Wales worked hard to ensure that their children and grandchildren wouldn't have to do the dangerous work of going down the pits and for future generations to have better opportunities in life,' he said. 'The fact that Nigel Farage doesn't see this shows how poorly he understands Welsh communities.' Heledd Fychan, speaking for Plaid Cymru, accused Mr Farage of 'taking advantage' after the industry said reopening the existing furnaces would be 'impossible.' 'You can imagine my surprise at his calls to reopen the coal mines in Wales, especially considering the actions taken by his political hero, Margaret Thatcher,' she said. 'Reform clearly have no interest in actually improving the lives of the people of Wales, they can only come up with unrealistic and unsubstantiated headlines that will be of no material benefit to the people of Port Talbot or Wales. Greenpeace also hit out at the plans, saying bringing back British coal 'has about as much chance of success as resurrecting dinosaurs'.
