Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Peter Robinson’s threat to resign over the fallout from the Downey judgement is bluster.
“Many of the facts surrounding these get out of jail free cards have yet to emerge but it is evident that the Government saw dealing with on the run terrorists as key to getting Stormont back up and running. Continue Reading…
Commenting on the judgment in the case of John Downey Jim Allister said:
“John Anthony Downey was accused of the most horrendous crimes. The Hyde Park bombing cost the lives of four people – Roy John Bright, Dennis Richard Anthony Daly, Simon Andrew Tipper and Geoffrey Vernon Young. Continue Reading…
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“I am disappointed, but from previous experience not terribly surprised, that I have not been afforded the opportunity to question the Justice Minister about the proposed visit of an IRA escapee to a prison in order to discuss his book The Escape.
“While it is welcome that Gerry Kelly’s visit to a book club at Hydebankwood has been cancelled it is absolutely outrageous that this was ever contemplated in the first place. When I first heard of the plan on Friday morning frankly I did not know whether to believe it or not. Continue Reading…
The following platform article appeared in Saturday’s News Letter.
Since police pension regulations were reformed a few years ago there has been a glaring inequality affecting RUC widows. Under the new regulations a new police widow can retain her pension rights for life. Thus on remarriage she does not forfeit her pension. In contrast widows covered by the earlier regulations do lose their pension if they remarry. Continue Reading…
TUV’s analysis of the Haass proposals
General observations:
1. Throughout the document there is not a single acknowledgement that for 30 years we faced a campaign of vicious terrorism; instead “terrorism” is sanitised down to “the conflict”, inferring the mutual responsibility of the terroriser and the terrorised. The IRA escapes even a single mention. The only time “terrorist” is mentioned is in the same breath as “freedom fighter” (p22). There is no acceptance that terrorism was wrong and never justified. Continue Reading…
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“It is certainly no surprise to me that the Haass process is putting pressure on unionists. It was never designed to do otherwise. All such international involvement has the same tilt, because the Dublin/London/Washington nexus, which drives the process, is consciously anti-unionist. It was the same when Mitchell was the frontman. Nothing has changed under Haass. The only difference is that the DUP leader was foolish enough to join with his government buddy McGuinness to call in Haass! Continue Reading…
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“In reality immunity is amnesty by another name.
“There are at least 3 reasons why it is unacceptable:
1. It brings further perversion and corruption to our criminal justice system. Within our, and any meaningful, criminal justice system there is no limitation period and no point when the long arm of the law cannot catch up with the criminal – as the murderer of John Proctor recently discovered. That is how it should be. There can be no “sell by” date on justice. We have already corrupted our criminal justice system enough through the early release scheme, without starting to hand out “Stay out of Jail” cards. Continue Reading…
Responding to comments by the Garda Commissioner on the Smithwick Report TUV leader Jim Allister said:
“Commissioner Callinan claims that he accepts the conclusions of the Smithwick Report and yet says that it is “beyond comprehension” that any member of the force colluded with the Provisionals. Continue Reading…
Jim Allister has become the first party leader to officially back “A Covenant for and with innocent victims and survivors of terrorism”.
Commenting Mr Allister said:
“The covenant was presented by Innocent Victims United to the Haass team some weeks ago. I believe that all public representatives should study its contents carefully, especially given the comments of some in relation to immunity. Continue Reading…
