Griffith condemns IRA bombings as Corbyn pressured
SHADOW defence secretary Nia Griffith has said she “unequivocally condemns” IRA bombings in Northern Ireland.
Ms Griffith also said that she was “not going to speak for my leader” amidst scrutiny over Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s views on the IRA.
Both Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell have come under the spotlight over their association with the IRA, with Mr Corbyn repeatedly refusing to specifically condemn IRA terror attacks.
Newspaper reports over the weekend also claimed shadow home secretary Diane Abbott had previously spoken out in support of the IRA.
Speaking at a Royal United Service Institute defence debate yesterday, Ms Griffith, who will be defending her Llanelli seat, said: “I’m not going to speak for my leader, but I can certainly tell you, as somebody who is old enough to remember the Troubles in Northern Ireland – I had friends who actually served in Northern Ireland – I absolutely and unequivocally condemn IRA bombings in Northern Ireland.”
Defence minister Harriett Baldwin said: “In terms of the IRA, I am very happy to unequivocally condemn terrorism wherever it comes from.”
Both Ms Baldwin and Ms Griffith also spoke out in support of British troops who are facing legal action over their actions during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Ms Griffith said: “In terms of our service personnel who served there, no way should they be subject to vexatious claims, long drawn-out processes referring back to times which actually in many instances have already been dealt with and have already been examined fully.”
On Trident, Ms Griffith said emerging threats posed by rogue states are behind her personal U-turn in supporting the renewal of the UK nuclear deterrent.
Ms Griffith had joined party leader Jeremy Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell in voting against the multibillion-pound Trident renewal programme last year.
When asked whether such a policy was to deter aggression from Russia, Ms Griffith said it was also in the wake of threats from countries like North Korea and “rogue states doing unthinkable things”.
“I’m telling you now that I think the emerging threats we face mean that we definitely need to keep Trident,” said Ms Griffith. “We remain committed to the Trident nuclear deterrent, the four submarines.”
A row erupted in the shadow cabinet last week when shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry suggested Trident may not be renewed after a review of defence by any Labour government.
Ms Griffith slapped down Ms Thornberry’s comments last week, and yesterday insisted a defence review would be “essential” in the wake of a Labour victory on June 8.