TUV slams ‘laughable talking shop on unity’ after Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald launches ‘Commission on the Future of Ireland’, with inaugural event to take place in Belfast’s Waterfront Hall

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald announced yesterday that the commission would hold its inaugural meeting at Belfast Waterfront Hall in October.

The venue is close to the site of the old bus station, which was one of dozens of targets of the Provisional IRA on Bloody Friday.

TUV South Antrim representative Mel Lucas also described the notion that any unionist or loyalist would attend or submit to Sinn Fein’s commission as “laughable”.

Mr Lucas said the gathering would be a “Sinn Fein talking shop designed to work towards the removal of the Union”.

He continued: “Why would anyone, let alone a unionist, engage with a process which would see us lose our free NHS and instead be left with a €50 bill for seeing a GP, the surrendering of our £12,500 tax-free personal allowance to pay tax on all income, and lose our £10 billion annual subvention from London, all to join an economy with a higher rate of unemployment and a higher cost of living?”

The TUV spokesman said the choice of venue for the launch of the commission was telling.

“Even if they did manage to sort out the economics one has only to consider Sinn Fein’s courtship techniques to date. For 30 years they sought to use the gun and the bomb to force unionists to join an all-Ireland. It is deeply ironic that they should launch this hamfisted charm offensive in a week when many will be remembering the innocents murdered on Bloody Friday.”

The bomb at Oxford Street bus station on July 21 1972 killed two soldiers and four Ulsterbus employees in what became known as Bloody Friday.

There were harrowing scenes after the explosion with human remains seen being shovelled into body bags. Overall nine people were killed and 130 people were injured including 77 women and children.