Martina Anderson reported to standards watchdog over ‘incredibly harmful’ tweets

Ulster Unionist MLA Mr Beattie said Ms Anderson’s Twitter messages earlier this week were designed to deter nationalists from applying, in order “to create a false narrative that this is a pension for one community only”.

The Sinn Fein MLA provoked widespread anger on Tuesday evening when she claimed the new Troubles pension payments would go mainly to those who “fought Britain’s dirty war’ in Ireland.

She later deleted the message and on Wednesday morning issued an apology – describing the tweet as “clumsy”.

However, Mr Beattie believes the tweet replacing the original message is equally offensive. The second tweet said the pension’s eligibility criteria “reflects the Brit Gov policy & only its narrative of the conflict,” and that it has “given legal protection to Brit armed forces who killed or injured or tortured Irish citizens during the conflict”.

Mr Beattie described this message as “incredibly harmful” and said: “This could lead to those who are entitled to this pension and who come from a nationalist background, not applying for it, simply because they believe the Sinn Fein propaganda line and believe that if they do apply, they are supporting UK policy and the UK’s narrative of the Troubles.

“This is damaging to all communities and it is obviously false.”

Mr Beattie added: “My second complaint is around the false statement that British armed forces will receive legal protections though this VPS (Victims Payments Scheme) legislation. I challenge Sinn Fein to show where those legal protections are.

“This is creating division, it is deliberate in doing so, and that is against the code of conduct we should expect of any MLA.”

Meanwhile, TUV leader Jim Allister has called on Sinn Fein to pay the court costs for the legal action – taken by victims Jennifer McNern and Brian Turley – that directed The Executive Office to press ahead with the pension scheme.

“It was Sinn Fein belligerence and bigotry that caused this case and it is, therefore, reasonable that the substantial legal costs should be paid by the party,” he said.

“It adds insult to the injury already caused, both by the fact that this case had to be brought at all and Martina Anderson’s crass attempt to blacken the name of innocent victims, that the taxpayer should have to pick up this bill.

“Once again Northern Ireland has been reminded that having Sinn Fein in government comes at a high price,” Mr Allister added.

Martina Anderson lambasted over ‘disgusting and offensive’ Twitter message

Sorry Martina, your apology is worthless

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