Victims coalition: DUP and others should have rejected New Decade New Approach deal, but instead ignored us

A coalition of victims groups says legacy plans in the latest Stormont agreement are so threatening that any parties claiming to represent them should have “called time” on the whole deal.
A police officer and a member of the public rush to assist one of the many people injured in the IRA's bomb attack on the Remembrance Day parade in Enniskillen in 1987 in which 12 people were killed. Nobody has ever been held accountable for the atrocity, Photo: PacemakerA police officer and a member of the public rush to assist one of the many people injured in the IRA's bomb attack on the Remembrance Day parade in Enniskillen in 1987 in which 12 people were killed. Nobody has ever been held accountable for the atrocity, Photo: Pacemaker
A police officer and a member of the public rush to assist one of the many people injured in the IRA's bomb attack on the Remembrance Day parade in Enniskillen in 1987 in which 12 people were killed. Nobody has ever been held accountable for the atrocity, Photo: Pacemaker

Innocent Victims United (IVU) – which represents 23 groups and over 11,500 members – claims the Secretary of State and DUP “stonewalled” it throughout the talks process, when it says many other lobby groups were entertained.

IVU spokesman Kenny Donaldson said: “People are frankly baffled at the recent developments concerning legacy.” The Government decision to “bolt on an Annex of ill conceived legacy proposals” from the Stormont House Agreement was “an undemocratic and reckless decision”.

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The New Decade New Approach deal, he said, commits to making legacy legislation in 100 days and as such “should have been enough for those who claim to represent innocent victims to call time on the deal that was before them”.

Kenny Donaldson, Director of Services of the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF)Kenny Donaldson, Director of Services of the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF)
Kenny Donaldson, Director of Services of the South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF)

He added that either legacy isn’t a priority for the parties “or they do not possess the humility to retreat from legislation that will advance the ideology of the republican movement”.

The deal only says the final legacy plans “should” have the support of the assembly, whereas IVU would demand that the legislation “must” have the full support of MLAs.

He went on to challenge all Stormont parties to insist that government publishes the full results of the legacy consultation, completed 16 months ago, as would normally happen in a transparent legislative process.

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Mr Donaldson added that the proposed Historical Investigations Unit (HIU) will amount to “a new police force” which will investigate ex-police for the new offence of “non-criminal misconduct” which he feels will be “a state-sponsored kangaroo court”.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP. Pic Lorcan Mullally, IIEASir Jeffrey Donaldson MP. Pic Lorcan Mullally, IIEA
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP. Pic Lorcan Mullally, IIEA

Responding, UUP MLA Doug Beattie accepted and echoed every objection raised by IVU, saying the UUP “consistently stated its opposition to the latest legacy proposals” as based on the Stormont House Agreement.

“We have repeatedly urged the Government to publish the results of the legacy consultation; throughout the recent talks we were told that legacy would not form part of the process, yet the Government took it upon itself to include legacy in its document.”

DUP Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson responded that the latest agreement mentions the Stormont House Agreement (SHA) “but there is no agreement on the detail of the legislation”. The SHA is now five years old and “needs updated” he added.

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“There has to be a long hard look at the current proposals alongside the 17,000 consultation responses. Those submissions should be published.”

The DUP submission called for “substantial changes” to the draft SHA bill, which remains the DUP view; it is “not wed to any particular option”.

His party will continue to engage with others to ensure that any proposals have widespread support. “The NIO has consulted on legacy and it is clear the legislation needs rewritten. This must be led by victims rather than foisted upon them.”