DUP and government in '˜renewed discussions' over SF Westminster expenses

The revelation comes amid scrutiny over the right of Sinn Fein’s absentee MPs to access public funds from Westminster – an issue brought into even sharper focus in the wake of Barry McElduff’s controversial social media post.

In a video uploaded to Twitter last Friday, the Sinn Fein member for West Tyrone sparked fury after he appeared to mock victims of the Kingsmills massacre.

And in what many viewed as a “cop-out” by Sinn Fein, Mr McElduff was suspended by the party for three-months, with full pay.

Yesterday, TUV leader Jim Allister claimed it was time to “put a stop to Sinn Fein’s arrogance and disrespect for victims” by ending their Westminster allowances.

The News Letter asked DUP MP Jim Shannon if the party intended to push Theresa May’s government on the issue of Sinn Fein expenses, given their position of influence within the administration.

The DUP struck a £1bn ‘confidence and supply’ deal to prop up the minority Tory government after last year’s general election.

Mr Shannon said: “We have held renewed discussions with the Tories over the monies drawn down by Sinn Fein, whose members do not take the oath and do not participate in debates.

“The actions of Mr McElduff have infuriated parliamentarians across the spectrum and there is a real mood of anger.”

North Antrim MLA Mr Allister said records indicate that in Mr McElduff’s constituency of West Tyrone alone, Sinn Fein have claimed almost £900,000 in expenses since 2010-11, despite the party’s refusal to take seats in Parliament.

He added: “Sinn Fein have thumbed their nose at the victims of Kingsmills because they think they are untouchable.

“It’s time they were made to pay. And there is a way that unionists can deliver just that.”

Mr Allister said DUP and Conservative MPs should now “follow through” on their pledge to end Sinn Fein Westminster allowances.

He added: “Strangely the DUP deal with the Tories made no mention of removing these allowances but now, in the wake of the McElduff video, it is surely time to revisit what Ian Paisley Jnr has described as ‘a scar on Parliament’.”

On Wednesday, the News Letter reported a cross-party group of MPs calling on Mr McElduff to resign his seat.

Labour MP Mary Glindon is one of those behind the Early Day Motion who were angered by a video of Mr McElduff posing with a Kingsmill-branded loaf on his head on the 42nd anniversary of the Kingsmills massacre.

The motion, which has been signed by Labour’s Kate Hoey and Conservative Jack Lopresti, states that Mr McElduff’s “offensive act brings into question his judgment and the sincerity of his commitment to non-sectarianism”.