Brandon Lewis: NIO will not attend legacy talks without victims, says Secretary of State after Lambeth Palace row

He was speaking after it was revealed that academics, republicans, loyalists and representatives of the Irish and UK governments attended recent talks at Lambeth palace about resolving legacy matters - but that victims and unionist parties were not invited.

It was put to Mr Lewis this morning that his officials had attended the talks along with some people who were former members of paramilitary organisations which had caused “hurt pain and grief”.

At first Mr Lewis pointed out that they had not organised the meetings.

He said NIO officials were invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury and his team to a meeting

“They went along to that meeting because there were people from different parts of the communities represented there,” Mr Lewis told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme.

“But I have to say, meetings of that type if they happen in the future will only be attended by the Northern Ireland Office if there is a good representation and we know up front and exactly who the representation is across communities, including victims groups.”

He said the NIO work going forward will be engaging with people “of all communities, of all backgrounds, with all experiences ... including with our partners internationally as well”.

Asked if the NIO had known in advance who would be attending, the NIO did not clarify the matter, while Lambeth Palace had not responded.

With regards to the ongoing campaign for a public inquiry into the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane, he said this had not been ruled out. The government recently turned down yet another request by the family for a public inquiry.

It was put to him that the only reason the government would refuse an inquiry was because of what it would uncover, which he firmly rejected.

“We haven’t ruled out a public inquiry, it is just that we have got to let the police and the Police Ombudsman processes go forward in the first instance before we can decide whether the government has satisfied the Article Two requirements,” he told the BBC.

The Article Two requirement is the section of the European Convention on Human Rights which expresses the citizen’s right to life.

Mr Lewis added that the government has decided that “we will satisfy those Article 2 requirements as set out by the courts” in relation to the murder.

Kenny Donaldson, spokesman for Innocent Victims United, had publicly challenged the make up of the talks, after which they were halted.

He said: “Last Thursday we met with the Secretary of State Brandon Lewis and we made it clear to him that the construct of the Lambeth process was wrong, and that victims/survivors will no longer be dictated to by those who believe their own agenda and will should be advanced”.

“We implored the Secretary of State to move the debate forward recognising that; The Stormont House process is done, it is past tense and that a new phase of intense engagement should be furthered with victims groups and direct stakeholders which would seek to find an agreement which can be bought into across the greater number of victims/survivors”.

“The UK Government must provide leadership on these issues and we look forward to direct and positive engagement with them in the times ahead. We have also in recent days engaged with political people within the Irish State and we are determined that Dublin comes to the table as a willing and generous contributor accounting for the issues it needs to account for - it should not and must no longer simply have spectator status.”

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