SF politician in Kingsmill ‘joke’ gaffe is elected to council in Omagh poll

‘I showed high standards in public office... and I’m back’

A SINN Féin politician forced to quit as a Westminster MP after being accused of mocking victims of a sectarian massacre has triumphed in the North’s local council elections. Barry McElduff sparked controversy last year following the posting of a video of himself with a loaf of Kingsmill bread on his head – this was on the anniversary of the Kingsmill massacre.

Ten Protestant workmen were murdered by Republicans in Kingsmill, Co. Armagh, on January 5, 1976.

In the video, Mr McElduff, who regularly posted to social media, is at one point filmed walking around a shop with a Kingsmill loaf on his head asking where the store kept the bread.

Mr McElduff said afterwards he did not make the association between Kingsmill bread and the Kingsmill atrocity, and was unaware it was the anniversary of the killings when he posted the clip.

However, he acknowledged that the post had caused unintentional hurt to victims’ families.

The incident was referred to the PSNI and Mr McElduff was interviewed by officers. But the North’s Public Prosecution Service later ruled there was insufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of a conviction.

Si nn Féin s uspended Mr McElduff for three months and he resigned as MP for West Tyrone.

He said at the time: ‘ Had I been conscious of the connection to the terrible atrocity at Kingsmill I would certainly not have posted that tweet.

‘I genuinely did not make that connection, not for a second did I make that connection in my mind. Kingsmill was wrong, unjustifiable and sectarian.’

He said that remaining in his post could damage the peace process, because many people would not believe him, adding: ‘I accept also that this view of what happened is deeply damaging to the reconciliation process that is so important to consolidating the peace process and to healing the pain and hurt of the past. I cannot undo the pain caused but I know that my continuing role as MP f or West Tyrone will compound that sense of hurt and impede any reconciliation process.’ However, on Saturday Mr McElduff was elected to Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

Kingsmill post: But McElduff says he was unaware of connection

He received 900 first preference votes, where the DUP’s Errol Thompson t opped t he poll. Mr McElduff was only short of the quota by ten votes and elected in the second round.

After his election, he said: ‘Today is about this election. I have said my piece, I did so with as much dignity as I could. I resigned as an MP, I apologised for the stress and the unintended consequences and I took full responsibility for my own actions.

‘In a way I think that I showed high standards in public office and I’m back, I’m re-emerging as an elected representative for the people of Omagh, the county town of Tyrone.’

‘I cannot undo the pain caused’ ‘I took full responsibility’