The Frankenstein’s monster that is HIU must be killed off before more security services are hounded

On Wednesday at Westminster we saw the latest instalment of DUP hypocrisy on legacy.

Ian Paisley asked the Prime Minister if he will “bring to an end the sickening outrage of a witch hunt against former police officers who served Ulster through the heat of the Troubles and who will now face the most odious prosecutions for non-criminal misconduct?” 

Having brought the Stormont House Agreement legacy mechanisms to the green benches of Westminster – with the support of Sinn Fein – it is clear that some elements in the DUP at least are now trying to distance themselves from the very scenario which the party set in motion, which will see former police officers – even those murdered by terrorists – face non-criminal police misconduct charges.

Ian Paisley may well stand and ask the Prime Minster questions in outrage. And the heads on the Conservative benches may well nod in agreement – but the fact remains that the DUP brought the Historical Investigation Unit (HIU) to life and like Frankenstein’s monster it has now taken on a life of its own.

To add insult to injury, the Prime Minister’s reply was rather vague to say the least, and suggested he was not fully across the issue.

The Ulster Unionist Party has been clear and remains clear. The HIU is not acceptable and the DUP should take responsibility for what they set in motion and come out and state unequivocally that they now no longer support the HIU and the Stormont House Agreement Legacy mechanisms. 

If there is any doubt as to what the DUP supported, you just need to listen to look at the House of Commons Hansard from the debate in Westminster on February 23, 2017 ,and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s contribution to it where he said: “Let me be clear that this party stands by the Stormont House agreement...

“We endorse the institutions proposed under the agreement, including a new historical investigations unit that would have full police powers, and would take over the work of the PSNI’s legacy investigation branch and the responsibility for reinvestigatingthe unsolved murders linked to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. We welcome and support that.”

Doug Beattie is a former soldier and is UUP MLA for Upper Bann