Support gathers to help oppose ‘amnesty’

Representatives from major political parties north and south are to meet with families of Troubles victims in opposition to UK Government proposals to bring in an “amnesty” for legacy killings.

A delegation of Irish TDs and senators as well as members of the DUP, Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Alliance will meet with a crosscommunity group of victims’ campaigners today.

Raymond McCord, whose son Raymond Jr was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries, said the proposals would remove “the basic human rights of families and the victims themselves”.

Mr McCord said: “Every time I go up to my son’s grave to lay flowers I say ‘We’re going to get justice, we’re going to get justice’.

“The British Government are turning around and saying ‘You’re never going to get justice’. That’s the message you take to the grave.”

He has called on Taoiseach Micheal Martin to meet with victims’ groups and to raise the issue in the European Parliament and with the US government.

In July, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis announced plans for a statute of limitations which would end all prosecutions for Troubles incidents up to April 1998 and would apply to military veterans as well as ex-paramilitaries.

The proposals, which Boris Johnson said would allow Northern Ireland to “draw a line under the Troubles”, would also end all legacy inquests and civil actions related to the conflict.

Mr McCord said it was “unheard of” for political parties across the island of Ireland to unite on a single issue in this way.