Sinn Fein members elected to Westminster

[carmanmemoranda]

Not really comparable, Sinn Fein have weaponised the language in order to undermine Unionist identity.
There is no objection to the language being used in areas where it is wanted but Sinn want impose it on the entire population.
They want to make it compulsory for all schoolchildren regardless of religion or identity.
If they get their way, you won't get a government job in N.I.without a qualification in Gaelic.
This was the device used to exclude Protestants in the Irish Republic from state employment after Partition.

And why was there a paritition?

The territory that became Northern Ireland, within the Irish province of Ulster, had a Protestant and Unionist majority who wanted to maintain ties to Britain. This was largely due to 17th-century British colonisation.

 

[blup]

Not really comparable, Sinn Fein have weaponised the language in order to undermine Unionist identity.

I have never read anything that would in any way undermine unionist identity, embed irish history and culture yes, but the two are not incompatible.

Blup

 

[Andydevon]

And just because you have not read it trumps someone who lives it day in day out?

 

[blup]

T

Tony Blair gave the IRA a get out jail free card in return for the Belfast agreement.
Meanwhile ex British soldiers who served in N.I. are being tried for alleged offences decades ago.

These were measures designed to end terrorism and it has largely worked, no point scoring:

The cruel peace: killings in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement

ENDING the Troubles in Northern Ireland stopped large scale violence, but lower level activity has lingered. Earlier this month, loyalists renewed their opposition to criminality. Now Paul Nolan reports how killings didn't entirely stop after the Belfast agreement in 1998, while few perpetrators...

www.thedetail.tv

Blup

 

[Roy Bloom]

Not hard to understand, by participating in the assembly they can subvert N. Ireland from within.

They are representing at least 50% of the electorate. That is not subverting NI politics.

Their aim is to remove all traces of Britishness from N.Ireland by demanding legislation for Irish language,

Like the English banned the use of Irish in NI?
Sinn Fein want the Irish the freedom to govern themselves, i.e fully devolved government. Just like nearly the majority in Scotland.

public inquiries into the actions of the Police and Army but no inquiries into the activities of the IRA of course.

Police search in Londonderry as part of New IRA inquiry
Police have carried out a search in Londonderry as part of an investigation into the dissident republican group the New IRA.
Dated April 2023

Police search in Londonderry as part of New IRA inquiry

Terrorism investigation officers were involved in the operation into dissident republican activity.

www.bbc.com

 

[Roy Bloom]

And just because you have not read it trumps someone who lives it day in day out?

Their aim is to remove all traces of Britishness from N.Ireland ... public inquiries into the actions of the Police and Army but no inquiries into the activities of the IRA of course.

Then Vinty mut be living it day in, day out with his eyes and ears closed.
Or he's being disingenuous.

"Police have carried out a search in Londonderry as part of an investigation into the dissident republican group the New IRA."
Dated April 2023

Police search in Londonderry as part of New IRA inquiry

Terrorism investigation officers were involved in the operation into dissident republican activity.

www.bbc.com

Secretary of State announces independent statutory inquiry into Omagh bomb
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP has today announced that an independent statutory inquiry will be established into the preventability of the Omagh bombing in August 1998.
Dated Feb 2023

Secretary of State announces independent statutory inquiry into Omagh bomb

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP has today announced that an independent statutory inquiry will be established into the preventability of the Omagh bombing in August 1998.

www.gov.uk

 

[Roy Bloom]

Pretty sure major un punished ira crimes can still be pursued as can the loyalist side.

Not quite, the inquiries into specific British Army crimes were dropped. But they were later recommenced following legal action by the relatives of the victims.
But after 51 years, Assuming the soldier was 20 years old at the time, he might die of natural causes before the (again adjourned trial) concludes.

"Former British soldier is accused of two murders and five counts of attempted murder in Derry in 1972"

Prosecution of Soldier F for Bloody Sunday killings resumes

Former British soldier is accused of two murders and five counts of attempted murder in Derry in 1972

www.irishtimes.com

 

[fillyboy]

Then Vinty mut be living it day in, day out with his eyes and ears closed.
Or he's being disingenuous.

"Police have carried out a search in Londonderry as part of an investigation into the dissident republican group the New IRA."
Dated April 2023

Police search in Londonderry as part of New IRA inquiry

Terrorism investigation officers were involved in the operation into dissident republican activity.

www.bbc.com

Secretary of State announces independent statutory inquiry into Omagh bomb
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP has today announced that an independent statutory inquiry will be established into the preventability of the Omagh bombing in August 1998.
Dated Feb 2023

Secretary of State announces independent statutory inquiry into Omagh bomb

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP has today announced that an independent statutory inquiry will be established into the preventability of the Omagh bombing in August 1998.

www.gov.uk

Your post simply confirms what vinty was saying, the bombers were never convicted and never will be. A civil case against them succeeded and damages awarded to the victims. The bombers didn't pay any damages and remained free.

 

[Roy Bloom]

Why then do they vote for a party that wants to destroy N. Ireland and hates anything British.
Granted, there is a significant number Roman Catholics that don't support Sinn Fein.

Why do brexiteers want to see the destruction of the EU?

I'm pretty sure that Sinn Fein do not want to see the destructiuon of NI, they want to see unification of Ireland.
They want to govern themselves.

 

[Roy Bloom]

Tony Blair gave the IRA a get out jail free card in return for the Belfast agreement.
Meanwhile ex British soldiers who served in N.I. are being tried for alleged offences decades ago.

To date (May 2022) 6 ex soldiers have been charged
"To date, six military personnel have been charged with offences related to the Troubles. In May 2021, however, the first case to come to trial subsequently collapsed ..."

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8352/#:~:text=To%20date%2C%20six%20military%20personnel,the%20prosecution's%20case%20was%20inadmissible.

There have been 26 cases since 2011, only 6 of those were ex-soldiers.

A British Army veteran who served in NI during the Troubles is 54x more likely to be prosecuted? - FactCheckNI

This claim is not accurate. Prosecutions to date suggest that ex-British Army personnel have been the subject of cases five times more than Republican and Loyalist suspects. The cited ratio of 54 times “more likely” was based on a snapshot of live prosecutions and takes no account of previous...

factcheckni.org

As of 2021 there were no convictions of ex-military personel, compared to 8 convictions of "terrorists".

A British Army veteran who served in NI during the Troubles is 54x more likely to be prosecuted? - FactCheckNI

This claim is not accurate. Prosecutions to date suggest that ex-British Army personnel have been the subject of cases five times more than Republican and Loyalist suspects. The cited ratio of 54 times “more likely” was based on a snapshot of live prosecutions and takes no account of previous...

factcheckni.org

"The PPS for Northern Ireland has also sought to make clear that of the 26 prosecution cases brought by the PPS since 2011, 21 of those cases have also involved republican and loyalist paramilitaries. A number of those cases are still ongoing. The Government has been clear that letters of comfort issued to individuals suspected of terrorist offences in Northern Ireland who were “on the run”, do not constitute an amnesty or immunity from prosecution."

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8352/#:~:text=To%20date%2C%20six%20military%20personnel,the%20prosecution's%20case%20was%20inadmissible.

I suggested before that you must be living your life day in day out with your eyes and ears closed, or you are being disinegenuous.
I think we now have our answer.
Your quoting blatant untruths.

 

[Roy Bloom]

And why was there a paritition?

The territory that became Northern Ireland, within the Irish province of Ulster, had a Protestant and Unionist majority who wanted to maintain ties to Britain. This was largely due to 17th-century British colonisation.

The areas defined to be NI were specifically selected to create an apparent majority of Protestants. that is why NI is the shape that it is.

 

[Roy Bloom]

Your post simply confirms what vinty was saying, the bombers were never convicted and never will be. A civil case against them succeeded and damages awarded to the victims. The bombers didn't pay any damages and remained free.

The "bombers" were tried and either aquitted or their appeal was accepted.

Colm Murphy was tried and convicted of conspiring to cause the bombing, but was released on appeal after it was revealed that the Gardaí forged interview notes used in the case.[19] Murphy's nephew Sean Hoey was also tried but was acquitted.

Omagh bombing - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Intelligence services were apparently well aware of the intended bombing.

 

[fillyboy]

The Government has been clear that letters of comfort issued to individuals suspected of terrorist offences in Northern Ireland who were “on the run”, do not constitute an amnesty or immunity from prosecution."

Why Were IRA Suspects Sent 'Comfort Letters'?

The letters sparked a political crisis after it emerged more than 150 suspects had been told they were no longer wanted.

news.sky.com

The solution was a letter, informing "on-the-runs" they were no longer "wanted".

:: How did the letters come about?

In 2000, Tony Blair asked Gerry Adams to provide names for consideration by the Attorney General, police and Director of Public Prosecution.

In 2002, the Attorney General warned that the scheme could not become an amnesty.

In 2006, Blair wrote secretly to Adams, outlining mechanisms to resolve the issue, "expediting the existing administrative procedures".

:: How did the scheme work?

In 2007, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) began reviewing the cases of those wanted in connection with terrorist offences to establish if there were grounds for arrest.

Peter Hain MP, then Northern Ireland Secretary, wanted the scheme kept secret but the PSNI prepared a media statement for use in the event of it becoming public knowledge.

:: How did it become public?
In February 2014, John Downey went on trial, charged with killing four soldiers in the 1982 Hyde Park bombing.

When he produced a letter, stating that he was not wanted by the PSNI or any other police force, the judge ruled that the Donegal man could not be prosecuted.

The letter had been issued in error.

:: How many letters were issued?

Of the 288 names submitted for consideration, 156 people received a "letter of comfort" and 31 were informed in some other way that they were not wanted for questioning.

Drew Harris, now Deputy Chief Constable of the PSNI, told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that 100 of the recipients are suspects in 300 murder cases.

:: What did the government inquiry find?

When NI First Minister, Peter Robinson, threatened to resign over the issue, David Cameron announced an inquiry.

Lady Justice Hallet concluded that the letters were not an amnesty and the scheme had been lawful.

But she found "significant systemic failures" in how it operated and branded Mr Downey's letter a "catastrophic mistake" by the PSNI.

:: What did the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee find?

The Committee, which established its own inquiry because it felt the government's was too narrow in remit and too private, concluded that the scheme was "questionably unlawful" and "distorted the process of justice".

Members called on the government to take all necessary steps, including legislation if necessary, to ensure the "comfort letters" have no legal effect.

 

[Vinty]

I won't call you a liar, you just don't what you are talking about.
In the case of the Hyde park bomb suspect you quoted, he was arrested when he entered England, the police had enough evidence against him to have a reasonable chance of successful conviction.
When he appeared in court his lawyers produced the 'letter of comfort' from Blair, the Judge had to release him even though there was a strong case against him.
He was later found guilty in a civil case brought by the victims families.

In the case of the recent prosecutions of soldiers for alleged offences decades ago.
The offences they are charged with had been investigated years ago and no charges were brought.
Yet the PPS in N. Ireland have decided to pursue new prosecutions even though there is less evidence today than there was back then.
Unlike the IRA, ex British soldiers didn't receive get out jail free cards from Blair.

 

[Vinty]

The areas defined to be NI were specifically selected to create an apparent majority of Protestants. that is why NI is the shape that it is.

What are you, some sort of troll or what?
The 6 counties of N.Ireland were in UK before partition and remained in the UK after partition, nothing changed.
It was the remaining 26 counties which demanded a sectarian head count in order to create a state for themselves.
If Irish nationalists have the right to self determination why shouldn't Ulster Unionists have the same right.