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Labour MP praises IRA murderers

anti terror | 07.06.2003 19:14

A call to honour the "bravery and sacrifice" of the IRA by Labour MP John McDonnell sparked controversy at the weekend, with senior members of the Labour party distancing themselves from his remarks.

Labour MP praises IRA murderers.

A call to honour the "bravery and sacrifice" of the IRA by Labour MP John McDonnell sparked controversy at the weekend, with senior members of the Labour party distancing themselves from his remarks.

At a gathering to commemorate the convicted IRA terrorist, Bobby Sands, Mr. McDonnell said: "It's about time we started honouring those people involved in the armed struggle. It was the bombs and bullets and sacrifice made by the likes of Bobby Sands that brought Britain to the negotiating table. The peace we have now is due to the action of the IRA."

A Labour spokesman distanced the party from Mr McDonnell's comments, but refused to comment on whether he would face disciplinary action over his remarks.

"These views do not represent the views of the Labour party," he said. "The Labour party unreservedly condemns all atrocities perpetrated by the IRA and other paramilitaries."

Contacted later by a national tabloid, Mr. McDonnell stood by his words. "The deaths of innocent civilians in IRA attacks is a real tragedy, but it was as a result of British occupation in Ireland," he told the tabloid.

"Because of the bravery of the IRA and people like Bobby Sands we now have a peace process."

Calls for expulsion

The leader of the Ulster Unionist party, David Trimble, called for Mr. McDonnell to be expelled from the Labour party.

He said: "Mr. McDonnell's remarks about the IRA, apart from being completely wrong, are crass, insensitive and an insult to the thousands of British people, police and servicemen who have been murdered, maimed or bereaved by the actions of these terrorists."

"To label terrorists as brave and to lay blame for the murders, bombs and beatings of Irish republicans at the government's door is a disgusting accusation. Mr McDonnell's statement is much worse than any comments made by George Galloway. He should be expelled from the Labour party immediately."

Mr. McDonnell lists "generally fermenting the overthrow of capitalism" among his interests in "Who's Who". Whatever his interests the voters of Hayes of Harlington need to be reminded of the vile terrorist-supporting MP who claims to represent them.

Reasons why McDonnell must quit

As for Mr. McDonnell, here are over 30 named reasons that immediately spring to mind why this MP has to quit, or face the consequences at the next election.

Reason 1.



Tim Parry, 12, a keen Everton supporter, was shopping with friends when he was caught in the two blasts in the Cheshire town of Warrington in 1993. He later died in hospital of his injuries.

Reason 2.



Three-year-old Johnathan Ball was also killed when the explosions tore through Warrington town centre on a busy Saturday afternoon.

All the following were killed in Omagh Town centre by friends of MP John McDonnell in August 1998. Has McDonnell such a short memory?

Reason 3. Olive Hawkes, 60, Omagh
Reason 4. Jolene Marlow, 17, Omagh
Reason 5. Deborah Cartwright, 20, Omagh
Reason 6. Mary Grimes, 65, Beragh, County Tyrone
Reason 7. Her daughter, Avril Monaghan, 30, Aughadarna, County Tyrone
Reason 8. Avril Monaghan's baby daughter, Maura, 18 months, Aughadarna, County Tyrone
Reason 9. Sean McLaughlin, 12, Buncrana
Reason 10. James Barker, 12, Buncrana
Reason 11. Oran Doherty, 8, Buncrana
Reason 12. Geraldine Breslin, 43, Omagh
Reason 13. Brenda Logue, 17, Carrickmore
Reason 14. Philomena Skelton, 49, Drumquin
Reason 15. Gareth Conway, 18, Carrickmore
Reason 16. Brenda Devine, 20 months, Donemana
Reason 17. Lorraine Wilson, 15, Omagh
Reason 18. Samantha McFarland, 17, Omagh
Reason 19. Julia Hughes, 21, Omagh
Reason 20. Elizabeth Rush, 57, Omagh
Reason 21. Ricio Abad Ramos, 23, Madrid, Spain
Reason 22. Fernando Blasco Baselga, 12, Madrid, Spain
Reason 23. Esther Gibson, 36, Beragh
Reason 24.Anne McCombe, 48, Omagh
Reason 25.Veda Short, 46, Gortaclare
Reason 26.Aiden Gallagher, 21, Omagh
Reason 27.Alan Radford, 16, Omagh
Reason 28.Fred White, 60, Omagh
Reason 29.His son Brien White, 26, Omagh
Reason 30.Brian McCrory, 54, Omagh
Reason 31.Sean McGrath, 61, Omagh. Died three weeks after the blast.

To this list could be added:


The 11 civilians killed at the Remembrance Day Parade at Enniskillen in Nov 1987.

The nine shoppers and Policemen murdered by the IRA in the bomb planted outside Harrods in London, 17th December 1983.

Many more victims

To this list could be added many many more and we have not even included the members of the military murdered by the IRA terrorists, the hundreds that have been left maimed and scarred for life, the thousands of family members of the victims whose lives have been irreparably damaged by Mr. McDonnell's friends.

If the Labour Party do not expel this renegade, it will be clear to the British electorate that the Party of Government are happy to accommodate the vile views of McDonnell. The repercussions will be felt in the Spring of 2005 when the next Westminster General Election is due to take place. Whilst McDonnell romped home to election success in 2001, with a massive 13,466 majority, nothing is guaranteed in politics and the BNP will be determinedly campaigning right through to 2005 to contest McDonnell's seat.


Action needed to remind McDonnell

Website readers who feel that they need to remind McDonnell of the victims of his friends' activities can contact him in person or by post at:

John McDonnell MP
Constituency Office
Pump Lane
HAYES
Middlesex
UB3 3NB

Phone: 020 8569 0010
Fax: 020 8569 0109
E-mail:  office@john-mcdonnell.net

Just an idea...but if every day, someone sends in the image of the angelic looking, innocent toddler Johnathan Ball to McDonnell's inbox. How can any MP, even one with a 13,000 majority look his voters in the eye and say he can justify the massive destruction, the wholesale murder, the maiming, the loss of limbs and in the final question the murder of a 3 year old toddler?

anti terror