Rishi Sunak Northern Ireland: Prime Minister's silence after tough talk against 'glorification of violence'

Writing in the News Letter on 28 February to promote the launch of the Windsor Framework, Mr Sunak acknowledged the recent shooting of DCI John Caldwell and the daily courage of PSNI officers.

He then added: "We cannot allow a political culture to emerge where people think it is harmless fun to glorify the violence of the past."

The next day the News Letter asked the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) if he was taking any practical steps in light of his apparent pledge, but we were redirected to the Prime Minister's office. It failed to offer any response.

Then on Wednesday DUP representatives called out the government on his same comments, after days of what it described as Sinn Fein "eulogising convicted IRA terrorist" Rita O'Hare - the party's former US representative - upon her death.

DUP Legacy spokeswoman Emma Little-Pengelly said: "Rita O'Hare was an 'On the Run'. She was wanted for serious terrorist activity in Northern Ireland. The victims of her actions remain without justice. She was a convicted terrorist who remained deeply proud of her actions until her death. To see these actions lifted up and praised will have caused much hurt to victims of terrorism across all communities."

DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart said she challenged Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris at Westminster to outline what the Government intends to do to stop the glorification of terrorism. However he "washed his hands" of the issue by claiming it was a devolved matter, she said, describing his response as "pathetic and shameful".

She added: "His words also contrast with the Prime Minister who has told us [in the News Letter] that 'we cannot allow a political culture to emerge where people think its harmless fun to glorify the violence of the past'."

The News Letter again contacted the Prime Minister's press office – five times in 24 hours – asking for clarification about Mr Sunak's apparent pledge - but was finally referred back to the department which initially said it was an inquiry for Ten Downing Street - the NIO.

However it failed to offer any government action plan in light of Mr Sunak’s comments.

“We are clear that paramilitarism was never justified in the past and cannot be justified today,” the NIO said. “We are also clear that we should not allow a culture to emerge that glorifies violence of the past, which risks individuals vulnerable to present narratives, getting involved.”

The NIO advised that an offence of 'encouragement of terrorism' is already in the Terrorism Act 2006, although it is not known if anyone has ever been charged with it in NI. It also advised that "commemoration and memorialisation" are issues for the NI Executive to deal with.

However Emma Little-Pengelly responded that the issue is the responsibility of the UK government - claiming Stormont could never legislate against it while Sinn Fein is in the Executive.

"The Government must crack down on those who glorify loyalist and republican violence," she said.

"If the Government of the United Kingdom expect Sinn Fein to legislate to ban the glorification of the PIRA then they are naive in the extreme."