Sinn Féin not committed to exclusively peaceful and democratic means, say DUP peers in joint statement

The comment came tonight in a rare joint statement issued directly to the News Letter by Lord Browne, Lord Hay, Lord McCrea and DUP chairman Lord Morrow (Lord Dodds has not yet taken up his seat).

Their choice of words is significant because under the Northern Ireland Act 1998 one of the grounds for excluding a party from the Executive is that they are “not committed to non-violence and exclusively peaceful and democratic means”.

However, there is no hint that Arlene Foster or the DUP’s MLAs are considering such a course of action.

Referring to recent comments by North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly, the peers denounced what they described as “the glorification of terrorism” by the Sinn Féin veteran.

Last Friday Mr Kelly tweeted on the 37th anniversary of the IRA’s escape from the Maze Prison, describing it as “one of Big Bob’s best ops” and saying that “I had the privilege of the front passenger seat”.

Mr Kelly’s tweet has attracted widespread condemnation, including from Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who put it to Sinn Fein in the Dail: “When your colleague Gerry Kelly celebrates the prison escape which resulted in the murder of a prison officer, is that OK?

“Do you think that advances the cause of Irish unity? Of course it does not.”

Secretary of State Brandon Lewis also made a highly unusual intervention, describing it as “disgraceful” and saying that “such shameful and gratuitous incitement makes it harder for all communities in Northern Ireland to move forward.”

The DUP peers said in a statement: “It is utterly deplorable that Kelly should use such vile remarks and seek to justify the illegal breakout from prison which resulted in a prison officer losing his life, suffering a heart attack after being stabbed, two prison warders shot, others stabbed and a number of officers assaulted.

“It is sickening that Gerry Kelly, even after 37 years, still gloats over such murderous activity and feels proud of his terrorist actions.”

They said that Mr Kelly showed “no remorse” and that his “provocative bile” insulted families “who have carried their grief with such dignity and fortitude”.

The peers also called for Mr Kelly’s tweet to be investigated by the police as a hate crime and “he must be immediately removed from the policing board, as his continued membership of that board discredits everything that the Policing Board is supposed to stand for”.

They added: “He is unfit to exercise his functions as a member of the Board and his presence makes a mockery of the rule of law within society.

“The Assembly also needs to investigate these remarks under the Code of Conduct he signed as a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. It is significant and commendable that the Secretary of State Brandon Lewis has condemned Kelly’s outburst and we trust that resolute action will be forthcoming.”

They added: “The law-abiding people of Northern Ireland have for many years suffered grievously through IRA terrorist activity but Kelly’s glorifying of terrorism clearly shows that Sinn Fein have not renounced their old ways and are not wedded to exclusively peaceful and democratic means. Indeed, once again, the Sinn Fein mask has slipped and such chilling remarks only gives sickening encouragement to those republicans who daily seek to continue the path of terror.”

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