Lord Empey: Only the prime minister can now break stalemate and get justice for Libya-IRA victims

A letter from Lord Empey:
By Reg Empey
Published 16th Apr 2021, 09:45 BST
Updated 16th Apr 2021, 11:45 BST
Boris Johnson at passing-out parade, Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth yesterday. Only he can get damages for Libya-IRA victimsBoris Johnson at passing-out parade, Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth yesterday. Only he can get damages for Libya-IRA victims
Boris Johnson at passing-out parade, Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth yesterday. Only he can get damages for Libya-IRA victims

With regard to evidence at the NI Affairs Committee yesterday.

I have long argued that there was a deal done during the Blair years with Colonel Gaddafi.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Why else would the UK be the principal victim of Libyan semtex yet be the only country not to seek compensation?

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

Germany, France and the United States all secured compensation for their citizens, yet the United Kingdom — whose citizens took the brunt of the violence — neither asked for nor received anything!

The shoddy way that the recent Shawcross report has been handled reinforces the view that the government has something to hide.

With an income stream coming from tax revenues on frozen Libyan assets held in London the government has no excuse for further delay in starting a compensation process.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Any monies used now in advance of a final deal with Libya should be recovered later.

For a deal to be done, London must be prepared to use its veto at the UN Security Council and prevent a release of frozen assets unless an accommodation can be reached.

It seems to me and members of the Parliamentary Support Group for victims of Libyan sponsored terrorism that only Prime Minister Boris Johnson can break the current stalemate and get justice for the victims.

Lord Empey, Ulster Unionist Peer

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor

Related topics:LondonIRA