Sammy Wilson says you can't blame republicans for being 'confused' about Sinn Fein's stance on Remembrance Day
Sammy Wilson has said he does not blame republicans for being "confused" about Sinn Fein's stance on Remembrance Day, given the "diet of poison" it has fed to supporters about the UK state.
Mr Wilson said Michelle O'Neill attending the memorial service at the cenotaph in Belfast on Sunday was correct given that she is leader of the country.
But he also wondered whether it was influenced by a desire to seem more moderate to Republic of Ireland voters ahead of the upcoming election there.
The move by Ms O'Neill has seen her come under fire from republicans.
For example the Irish News ran an open letter signed by over 100 people, including the relatives of dead IRA men, saying it was "beyond belief that any so-called Tyrone republican would wish to lay a wreath in honour of these forces who caused mayhem and murder".
"Have you all totally lost the run of yourselves or is it really power at any cost?" the letter said.
Meanwhile a banner reading "traitors" was hung outside a Sinn Fein office in Cookstown.
Whilst other Sinn Fein figures such as Lord Mayors of Belfast have gone to remembrance services, Michelle O'Neill is now the most senior member to have done so.
Asked about her attendance, Mr Wilson said: "As First Minister of the country, it's the right thing to do.
"No other head of state would not have attended a ceremony held to commemorate the people who had died for the state and to ensure the freedom of the state.
"I think it was long overdue that Sinn Fein recognised they could not escape that responsibility when it became the biggest party.
"The one thing I'd say is that, having done that, she then cannot and must not then go and eulogise the people who killed the soldiers and policemen and civilians in Northern Ireland.
"It's be hypocritical to say she wants to commemorate those who died on Sunday, then some other day during the week say she's prepared to eulogise those wo killed them."
But given that Sinn Fein does eulogise IRA men, was it appropriate that she attended?
"As head of state, it's the right thing to do," responded Mr Wilson.
"I'm sure it did leave a sour taste in the mouths of some people who were there remembering their dads or brothers who were killed by IRA terrorists…
"She still holds the position that those who killed the people we were commemorating yesterday did nothing wrong. In fact her argument has been that they'd no alternative.
"Sinn Fein can't have it both ways. The can't commemorate the dead on one hand, then eulogise the people who were responsible for those dead people on the other hand.
"Unfortunately it is [what they do]. But if they're seeking to regarded as legitimate politicians and genuinely wanting to heal the wounds of the past and represent the people of Northern Ireland, they've got to address the issue.
"They cannot keep on the pretence that they sympathise with the victims of terrorism while at the same time [be] supporting terrorism."
What of the flak she's getting from republicans?
"I bet you most of the people who complained about it were not older people, they were younger people whose minds have been poisoned by Sinn Fein for the last 35 years," he said.
"Because when you honour terrorists, name streets and playparks after them, tell people how bad the British state was, the police and the army were, then of course when their minds are poisoned like that they're going to be confused when you actually go to honour the people who you say were bad people.
"To a certain extent, Michelle O'Neill is now a victim of Sinn Fein's own rhetoric, because they have fed this narrative the British army and the police and the state were all bad people who were sent here to murder Catholics.
"Then when she goes to honour the dead police and army men, well of course she's got to expect that people who've been fed that diet of poison and hatred are going to retaliate and be confused.
"For the stability of the country, they've got to realise they cannot keep on feeding their own population the kind of diet of hatred and division they continue to do almost on a daily basis."
He also wondered: "Did she do it because Sinn Fein are now panicking that there's an election coming in the south, their brand in the south has been badly tarnished, and they've simply used this as a way of simply trying to burnish their image in the Republic?
"The thing is, having done it once, they have to do it every time now - they can't walk away from it."