Finucane won’t condemn Dodds murder bid

Fein’s North Belfast general election candidate John Finucane has refused to condemn the IRA’s attempted assassination of DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds.

In December 1996 an RUC officer was injured when IRA gunmen opened fire on police officers guarding Mr Dodds when he was visiting his seriously ill son at the Royal Children’s Hospital in west Belfast.

Gunmen fired four shots at officers in a hospital corridor as children were being treated close by.

One bullet struck an officer in the foot, while another hit an empty incubator in the intensive care unit. Speaking at the time the Rev Ian Paisley suggested the attack was an attempt to kill the policemen and then Mr Dodds.

Incumbent North Belfast candidate Mr Dodds is running against Mr Finucane for the Westminster seat in what is expected to be one of the closest contests of the election.

Speaking to the New Statesman Mr Finucane, who witnessed his lawyer father Pat being murdered by the UFF in 1989, was asked if he would condemn the 1996 IRA attack.

He said: “I have an issue with selective condemnation. I think it cheapens our past. I think it is a barrier to reconciliation... I know that the pain of the Troubles visited everybody, regardless of where they came from. I want that to be dealt with.”

When asked if this is a stance shared by the party, Sinn Fein said there will never be one “single narrative on the past”. It added: “There can be no hierarchy of victims. The hurt and pain of all victims is the same.

“All issues relating to the legacy of the conflict should be dealt with by the legacy mechanisms agreed in the Stormont House Agreement. The British Government must implement those legacy mechanisms so that all those bereaved by the conflict get access to truth.”

This is not the first time Sinn Fein has been challenged over the IRA’s attack on Mr Dodds over the course of this election campaign. Last month Sinn Fein called on the DUP to condemn banners erected in Belfast attacking Mr Finucane, who is Belfast Lord Mayor, and his family.

Party leader Arlene Foster said it was a “bit rich” listening to Sinn Fein talking about violence and hate crimes.

Speaking to the New Statesmen, Mr Finucane also touched upon the banners attacking him and his family. He said he felt the banners were not “representative of unionism”.

“It’s not a style of campaigning or politics that I would be comfortable with. People should judge me on my politics, on the message that I’m bringing, on my track record,” he said.

“I don’t wish to refight old batSINN tles, or use politics as a way of inflicting hurt on somebody else — no matter what the circumstances.”

Mr Dodds, who has condemned the banners, said it would be wrong to “overplay” this election campaign as being “particularly vicious”.

“The campaigners are getting on with their campaigns, and they’re doing what they do. I don’t think it’s been any particularly worse than previous campaigns, particularly with [convicted IRA bomber and previous Sinn Fein Westminster candidate] Gerry Kelly in the field.”

The DUP deputy leader said that, while North Belfast will be a close contest, he is “very confident” he will retain the seat.