Top Sinn Fein MLA '˜complicit' in McElduff Kingsmill tweet

Former finance minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir has come under heavy criticism for retweeting his party colleague’s post on Friday, in which he appeared to mock victims of the 1976 atrocity.

Mr Ó Muilleoir later apologised for the move.

But UUP MLA Steve Aiken accused the Sinn Fein MLA of being complicit in what he called an “appalling demonstration of disrespect” to the Kingsmills victims. He added that Mr Ó Muilleoir now has “questions to answer”.

The News Letter asked Sinn Fein yesterday if the party would be taking any action against Mr Ó Muilleoir, but we received no reply at the time of going to press.

Mr Aiken said: “The reprehensible and lamentable decision by Sinn Fein to suspend Barry McElduff from ‘all party activity’ for three months has exposed them for having a complete lack of compassion for IRA murder victims.

“The fact that they have also failed to address the complicity of Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is an abhorrent dereliction of responsibility.

“Máirtín Ó Muilleoir has provided nothing but a completely shallow, pathetic apology for his endorsement of Barry McElduff’s social media post. Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is no clown. He is well across the use of social media and its implications.”

Former UUP leader Reg Empey said Mr Ó Muilleoir’s involvement was “perhaps even more serious than Mr McElduff’s original post”.

He told the News Letter: “While Mr McElduff has a reputation for clownish behaviour, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir is very savvy when it comes to social media and is also one of the top men in the organisation.

“His involvement is even more serious as it brings into sharp focus the fact that sectarianism in Sinn Fein exists right the way through.

“Kingsmills was one of the most blatant sectarian attacks of the Troubles. The killers separated those who would live from those who would die, in the same way the Nazis did during WWII.”