UUP peer challenges Blair over terrorist amnesties

The leader of the Ulster Unionist peers in the House of Lords, Lord Rogan, has tabled a written parliamentary question about an amnesty for republican paramilitaries.

Lord Rogan asked what representations had been made by the British Prime Minister Tony Blair to Sinn Féin at last summer’s Weston Park talks about allowing individuals exiled from Northern Ireland by republican paramilitaries to return home.

Speaking from Westminster, Lord Rogan said: “It has become clear that the Prime Minister was negotiating with Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness at Weston Park about granting an amnesty for republican terrorists on-the-run. However, negotiations are about give and take. That begs the questions, what were Sinn Fein/IRA prepared to offer in return?"

Lord Rogan added: "The idea of granting an amnesty to on-the-run terrorists is causing grave disquiet across all parties at Westminster. However, equal unease has begun to develop over the government’s failure to address the fate of the many individuals exiled from the province by paramilitaries. Did Mr Blair raise the question of their fate at Weston Park? By tabling my question in Parliament, I hope very soon to find out.”

Earlier, British Prime Minister Tony Blair told Westminster MPs that the issue of terrorists on the run "must be dealt with", and said that the matter remained under consideration.

However, Alliance Chief Whip Kieran McCarthy has said he was "unsurprised" at the level of opposition the Prime Minister is experiencing at Westminster over plans for an amnesty for ‘on-the-run’ terrorists.

Mr McCarthy said: "The Prime Minister does not seem to realise the depth of feeling over this highly controversial issue. It seems as though he was willing to trample over the feelings of the many victims of the terrorists he was preparing to allow back into the UK.

"Many people find it difficult to understand why Mr Blair was so willing to press ahead with his plans regardless of what other parties from across the political spectrum were telling him. It is particularly galling that while terrorist fugitives were packing their bags to return home, their paramilitary colleagues have continued to exile people from Northern Ireland every day."

He continued: "There is a need to bring some basic fairness and openness back to the political process, otherwise the Government risks alienating the very people who have made it work."

Mr McCarthy called for no more "side deals" to be carried out behind closed doors, and appealed to the Prime Minister "to reconsider the damage he was doing".

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said that he thought the Conservative Party was exploiting the issue of an amnesty for political reasons.

(SP)