Barry McElduff resigned for mocking victims, Martina Anderson must do the same for insulting them

The convicted bomber has removed the tweet (after the apparent intervention of the party’s NI leader Michelle O’Neill), and published an apology for the “hurt caused”, but this is nowhere near enough to repair the damage her words have inflicted on victims.

The comparable case is that of the former Sinn Fein MP Barry McElduff. The then-West Tyrone MP mocked the innocent victims of the IRA’s Kingmills massacre when he recorded a video of himself with a Kingsmill loaf on his head on the anniversary of the atrocity in January 2018.

After a public and political outcry Mr McElduff eventually resigned as MP and Ms Anderson’s case is strikingly similar.

She has insulted and hurt victims of the Troubles who have spent years fighting for the compensation they deserve, and at a sensitive time when hope is on the horizon following last week’s significant ruling in the High Court by Mr Justice McAlinden.

She has also attracted almost universal political condemnation, with all of Sinn Fein’s partn ers in government joining the chorus of disapproval.

Ms Anderson should do the decent thing and quit as an MLA. Ms O’Neill, whose credibility has been damaged fatally by breaking coronavirus restrictions at the Bobby Storey funeral, has issued a statement criticising her, while party leader Mary Lou McDonald has yet to say anything apart from retweet Ms O’Neill’s statement.

You suspect that Sinn Fein, like it did over the Storey funeral, will be content to ride the storm, hoping that the story will be forgotten in a few days.

Ms Anderson’s outburst will probably do the party little damage among its core northern voters but it will more likely be viewed with distaste south of the border.