Relative of SF MLA says party does not fund his anti-Brexit group

Border Communities Against Brexit (BCAB) first emerged last autumn, when it staged demonstrations around the border in opposition to the UK-wide result of last June’s referendum.

The first mention about the group which can be found in the News Letter’s newsdesk mailbox was in a press release in October from Sinn Fein.

Since then, Sinn Fein has repeatedly promoted the group in emails to the News Letter (the only party to do so).

The most recent occasion was on Tuesday, when Sinn Fein issued a reminder about a protest BCAB is staging on Wednesday at Stormont. It is due to be attended by Sinn Fein MEPs.

BCAB’s spokesman is Declan Fearon, a director of the Fearon Bros furniture firm, to the south of Newry.

Megan Fearon, Sinn Fein MLA for Newry & South Armagh, is his niece.

Mr Fearon said he could not put a figure on how many members BCAB has, but said its demonstrations have previously attracted upwards of 1,000 people.

He said he does not view Brexit as a “nationalist or unionist issue”.

“To us it’s an issue of local communities here,” he said.

“If you’re going to have huge issues with trying to sell your farm produce, whether you’re a nationalist or unionist the same problems will apply.”

He is not a Sinn Fein member himself, and asked if Sinn Fein has funded BCAB, he said: “Not at all.”

Nor was Sinn Fein instrumental in setting the group up, he said.

He added that all anti-Brexit parties were invited to Wednesday’s Stormont protest; he is hoping for “a couple of hundred people there at least”.