Tears well up for DUP MLA during emotive Troubles amnesty debate

The contribution from Trevor Clarke came amid attacks on the security forces from Sinn Fein MLAs, who painted a picture of a web of secretive UK forces “who presided over state-sponsored massacres”.

Despite the fact that the entire political spectrum is united in opposing the government’s amnesty plans (which will end investigations into all pre-1998 Troubles crimes), a deep divide between Sinn Fein and the other parties was starkly on show as unionists and the SDLP all attacked the IRA’s legacy of bloodshed.

The special sitting of Stormont saw MLAs recalled from their holidays to address last week’s bombshell announcement about the amnesty.

At the root of the debate was a motion from SDLP deputy leader Nichola Mallon.

It demanded that the government dump its blueprints for an amnesty, and stated that “victims and survivors should have a full, material and central role and input into the content and design of structures to address the legacy of the past”.

Mr Clarke called the planned amnesty “an act of political cowardice”, saying: “The vast majority of servicemen and women acted within the law in the service of everyone in our community.

“They do not need nor seek an amnesty from prosecution.

“Placing them on the same footing as terrorists ultimately risks giving succour to those who continually try and rewrite history.

“The security forces are the target of much of the contribution from Sinn Fein today.

“They targeted them before today ... with the bullet and the bomb, and now they’re targeting them here today in this chamber.”

He then mentioned that one of his own relatives was murdered in the Troubles – namely Nigel McKee, who was one of 14 labourers blown up by the IRA while going to do repairs on an army base in Omagh.

Of those 14, eight died – all of them Protestants.

His voice breaking, Mr Clarke said: “My brother-in-law was murdered with seven of his colleagues – an innocent member of the public. Not part of an armed gang.

“Not part of a militia, or whatever the Provos wanted to call themselves. An innocent man carrying out a day’s work.

“To come here today to listen to the hypocrisy of Sinn Fein is nothing short of a disgrace.”

The debate had begun when Ms Mallon set out her motion before MLAs.

In doing so, she echoed many others over the past week, saying that the amnesty was a response to angry Tory backbenchers who were embarrassing the government by denouncing the prosecutions of former British soldiers.

Ms Mallon said such people “have created a bogus myth that an endless parade of veterans are being dragged through the courts”.

“Rather than debunk the myth and deal in facts, Boris Johnson and Brandon Lewis have decided to cruelly abandon victims and survivors as they play to the gallery,” she said.

Later, fellow SDLP MLA Sinead McLaughlin said that just as the bereaved relatives of Bloody Sunday victims deserve justice, so too does the family of Patsy Gillespie (who had a bomb strapped to his vehicle and was forced to drive it at an Army post in 1990, while the IRA held his family hostage).

“I want to know exactly who murdered Patsy Gillespie,” she said.

“Who gave the instruction that he was to be murdered? Are his murderers still walking around in my home town?

“Those are important questions that need to be answered – and justice needs to be served.”

At one point Justice Minister Naomi Long suggested that axing all prosecutions could lead to killers gloating over their actions.

“The idea that, free of prosecution, those who committed some of the worst atrocities in our past will have a sudden change of heart and come forward to share what they did, to show contrition, or to apologise to the bereaved, is quite frankly for the birds,” she said.

“Far more likely, based on current experience, is that perpetrators will be emboldened to speak freely of what they did and continue to build the mythology that surrounds so much of the brutality and cruelty of our past.”

After the two-hour debate, Ms Mallon’s motion was voted through, unopposed.

More on this topic here:

MP states: ‘Why do soldiers need amnesty? They did nothing wrong’

Click here: DUP: ‘No amnesty – too many terrorists freed already’

Click here: ‘Never-ending merry-go-round & chasing rainbows’: Troubles victims on a terror amnesty

ALSO... Ex-Conservative chair Brandon Lewis takes swipe at NI social conservatives

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