Resignation of Barry McElduff - Sinn Fein statement in full

“Yesterday evening, Barry McElduff informed me of his intention to resign as Sinn Féin MP for West Tyrone.

Also read: Kingsmills survivor: McElduff video was depraved ... he danced on graves of dead“Barry is doing so as a consequence of the unintended hurt caused to the Kingsmill victims and their loved ones by his recent social media tweet.

“Barry recognises that this controversy and his continuing role in public office is compounding the distress to the victims of Kingsmill, and again offers his profound apology to those families and to the wider victims community.

“He has said that he does not want to be a barrier to reconciliation and I respect that decision.

“Barry has served Sinn Féin and been a formidable champion for the people of West Tyrone at local government, Assembly and Westminster level over the past 20 years and has done so with great commitment, energy and determination.

“For this I want to personally thank Barry and his family, Paula, Niamh, Blannid and Patrick.

“Over the coming weeks Sinn Féin will focus our full efforts on the restoration of the power-sharing institutions on the basis of equality, integrity and respect and fulfil the mandate we received from the electorate in two successive elections last year.”