Brandon Lewis alarmed at ‘perceptive imbalance’ of Troubles killings

Brandon Lewis said that the reality that the vast majority of killings were by republican or loyalist terrorist organisations had been obscured by some high-profile cases which involved allegations or findings of wrongdoing by British forces.

In an interview with the News Letter, Mr Lewis also said it was crucial to resolve the years of wrangling over how to deal with the Troubles – even though there is little public evidence of major progress.

Brandon Lewis interview: Denial of the Irish Sea border is gone as SoS says part...

The NIO has faced years of criticism from some unionists and victims’ campaigners for the Stormont House Agreement, a 2014 deal which would have put in place structures which they argue would be inherently anti-state.

When asked about that unionist concern, Mr Lewis said: “If Stormont House was deliverable, it would have been done by now, and 2014-2021 is a pretty long timeframe.

“There was also a government consultation a couple of years ago which raised issues with parts of Stormont House and there are unionist parties which never did agree with Stormont House – the idea that it was completely unanimous is a fallacy.

“But there are principles in Stormont House that I think are strong and important to people across communities in terms of oral histories, having an understanding of what happened, and a recognition of the Troubles.”

Mr Lewis said he knew that last year’s New Decade, New Approach deal committed the government to implementing the Stormont House but parts of that agreement simply weren’t deliverable now.

He went on to say: “But we’ve got to find a way to move forward. We’ve also got to recognise that there’s been a bit of an imbalance, I think, over the last few years in the perception of what happened during the Troubles.

“And because of a small number of cases – and obviously I can’t comment on particular cases – that, rightly or wrongly, perception and publicity-wise, involved the state, actually that’s where all the focus is when in fact we’ve got 2,500 unsolved deaths, the majority of which were at the hands of terrorists, and there are victims from that.

“So there has been that kind of perceptive imbalance.”

Mr Lewis also said there is a responsibility on today’s politicians to find ways to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.

He said there was a pressing need to resolve the Troubles’ legacy structures now, “and not leave it to the next generation because the next generation coming through ... to leave this to be dealt with by a generation who weren’t even alive at the time, I think would be a dereliction of duty for all of us who are active in politics at the moment.

“So I think we need to see if we can find a way through this and to do that together.”

The secretary of state added: “In terms of what we’re looking at, I’m looking across communities, I met with civic society this week, I’ll be meeting with political parties, with victims’ groups as well who represent people from all communities, to see if we can find a way through ...”

Ban on British soil entering Northern Ireland is over for good, says NI Secretary of State Brandon Lewis

Sam McBride: Northern Ireland is now a proxy battleground for the EU and the UK – and that is dangerous

TUV leader Jim Allister’s aide had messages between Jamie Bryson and Sinn Féin, court told

Under cross-examination from loyalist Jamie Bryson, libel lawyer Paul Tweed refuses to name five Nama case clients

Sam McBride: After darkness, light: Reasons for real hope as Northern Ireland vaccine rollout accelerates – but first expect political rows

Boris Johnson backs down as EU says no to demands to reduce Irish Sea border – and DUP says ask for more checks, not less

Two thirds of GB retailers plan to stop selling to Northern Ireland by April because of Irish Sea border, survey finds

Unionist leaders unite to go to court over Irish Sea border, arguing it breaches the 1800 Act of Union and 1998 Belfast Agreement

Sam McBride: Northern Ireland is in a breathtakingly undemocratic position which dishonest Boris Johnson knows is indefensible – yet he knowingly chose it

Sam McBride: Read the small print – the Irish Sea border may be impossible to remove, even if MLAs vote it down

Sam McBride: Shackled to Brexit, Arlene Foster can’t admit that it has been disastrous for Union – but Irish Sea border is radically reshaping NI

——— ———

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.

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