Blair Gov told Sinn Fein it ‘turned a blind eye’ to IRA criminality to keep the peace process on track.

Sam McBride, Belfast Telegraph, March 28th, 2025

NI SECRETARY REID TOLD SF LEADERS THAT SERIOUS CRIMINALITY HAD BEEN TOLERATED

Tony Blair's government admitted to Sinn Fein that it deliberately “turned a blind eye” to IRA criminality up to and including murders, declassified files have revealed.

Secretary of State John Reid explicitly made that statement to Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, despite repeated denials from other figures in the Blair government that it knowingly tolerated serious criminality.

Among files opened at the National Archives in Kew is the record of a meeting in Hillsborough Castle on October 9, 2001.

September 11th attack

Reid met with Adams and McGuinness, and Adams' aide Richard McAuley, for dinner. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in America, the IRA was under intense pressure to finally begin decommissioning more than three years after the Good Friday Agreement.

Adams had told the Government this would happen, but almost a month after the mass murders in the US, nothing had happened.

During the four-hour meeting, the Secretary of State said that his interpretation of Sinn Fein's attempts to amend the draft Government statement to be issued after decommissioning was “that they wanted to get away from the idea of a process of decommissioning”.

That would mean decommissioning would be effectively symbolic — a single act to destroy some weaponry — rather than the complete disarmament of the IRA.

There had been an expectation that a first act of decommissioning would be followed by a second and a third and however many would be necessary to destroy the IRA's enormous arsenal.

Covering up serious crimes

The Secretary of State said that the British and Irish governments and Sinn Fein had effectively been colluding to cover up the IRA's responsibility for the most serious crimes.

He told them that the IRA “could not expect HMG [Her Majesty's Government] and the UUP to say this publicly, but in practice we could seek to shift the focus away from decommissioning.

“The quid pro quo was that other paramilitary activities — smuggling, beatings, robberies and murders — would come under closer scrutiny.

“We had turned a blind eye to these activities in the belief that the IRA was involved in a process of transition.

“Feigning exasperation, Adams said there was no evidence of IRA involvement in smuggling... we needed to 'get real' about what was happening in Northern Ireland: were we involved in a conflict resolution process or not? The Secretary of State said he knew he was delivering a message Adams did not want to hear, but he was trying to be open and honest.”

If the IRA was not involved in any of the issues the Government claimed, then it should have had nothing to fear from intensified efforts to prevent murders, beatings, robberies and other criminality.

However, Adams, the memo said, pushed back furiously, telling Reid that “the Government was pursuing the wrong strategy... a quid pro quo approach would not work”.

He said: “We should get the process working and ensure it moved forward without preconditions or obstacles… if this worked and the political process worked effectively, the IRA would 'go away'.”

McGuinness “said that the Secretary of State had 'scared' him: it was clear from what he had said that Sinn Fein would face further problems down the road. HMG needed to decide whether the Sinn Fein leadership were committed to a peaceful and democratic way forward. If so, then nothing should threaten their participation in the process”.

First tranche of decommissioning

However, a fortnight later, the IRA announced that it had decommissioned its first tranche of materiel.

Two months earlier, Reid had privately told the Prime Minister that it was increasingly difficult to justify devolution with Sinn Fein while it was “linked to an active, private army” which had “undiminished” criminal activity.

In an eight-page memo to the Prime Minister on August 28, 2001, the Secretary of State said it was “perhaps time to reassess our strategy more generally. Devolution with Sinn Fein still linked to an active, private army is becoming ever harder to sustain.

“A ceasefire against the security forces is indeed welcome. But a top-line ceasefire which is accompanied underneath by an undiminished level of military preparations and criminal activity is more and more difficult to overlook...we need to work up a Plan B and, if possible, try to work Bertie [Ahern] round to our viewpoint.

“It will not be easy. But... appeasement is not a tenable strategy indefinitely.”

Columbia arrests

He said the arrest of IRA members in Colombia where they were training FARC members in terrorist skills — apparently in exchange for money garnered from the drugs trade — made it more difficult to sell even decommissioning to unionists, because it would look like weapons were being destroyed one day and new ones brought in from elsewhere.

He said: “Colombia has become the very public tip of an iceberg which makes it difficult to avoid facing up to the 'submerged' element of criminal activity and military preparation.”

He added that if the IRA didn't quickly demonstrate that it was prepared to move exclusively to support democratic means, “we cannot for much longer go on hiding the truth about what they are really getting up to — killing, robbing, targeting, developing new weapons, racketeering”.

Even after decommissioning began, IRA criminality did not slow down. In fact, some of it sped up with multiple massive cash heists along with an enormous theft of cigarettes from Belfast Port.

Northern Bank

After the Northern Bank robbery — a crime so vast and so clearly the work of the IRA that the Governments were embarrassed — Ahern told the Dail that “there's a sinister view that you can continue the development of politics, on one side and criminality on the other. And yes, there was a view that for some time this was tolerated in order to try to move maybe to C or D. However, 10 years on, we cannot continue to do that.”

Speaking four years ago, Ahern recalled frankly: “There's a sense that you had been turning a blind eye to some IRA criminality in the past. Yeah, I think there had been over the period from 98 on… a number of cases where it had been reported that there was a belief that the Provisional IRA were involved.”

Sandy Row traders deserve £145k more than 'unnecessary' Grand Central Irish signs

By Iain Gray, Belfast News Letter, March 27th, 2025

A Stormont body has been accused of neglecting Sandy Row, with a politician saying £145,000 being splurged on Irish language signs in Belfast’s Grand Central would be better spent helping people struggling to survive a year of disruption from building work at the station.

DUP city councillor Tracy Kelly argues the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) handing over six figures for the signs while failing to aid traders shows the Stormont body is “continuing to ignore the plight of businesses in Sandy Row” directly caused by continuing work around the new train and bus station.

Mrs Kelly believes that as the DfI gave the green light for Grand Central, it should find some way of reducing the hurt from the station’s construction – and would be better spending £145,000 on that, instead of Irish language signs.

She accuses the DfI of “choosing to ignore its responsibilities” now trade in the area has collapsed by 40% due to a major route into and out of Sandy Row being sealed off for around 12 months to facilitate additional work at the station.

“Businesses in Sandy Row have suffered significantly due to the DfI’s decisions, yet not a single penny has been allocated to support those affected,” the DUP councillor said.

“Instead, the department has found £145,000 for signage that is neither necessary nor a priority. This is a disgraceful neglect of the real issues facing our community."

Although some help is on the cards in the form of a grant from another Stormont department that will give shop fronts a makeover, business owners say they need money in their tills to keep the lights on, either in terms of financial aid or a rates cut.

Mrs Kelly told the News Letter that the Irish language signs move “speaks volumes about the DfI’s approach”, adding: “It is unacceptable that resources can be found for unnecessary projects while businesses and residents in Sandy Row are left struggling.

DUP meets women's group at Stormont - weeks after Sinn ...

The Boyne Bridge was one of the main routes to and from Sandy Row. Traders have complained their business has been decimated since it was shut.

"The department must recognise its responsibility and take urgent steps to support those who have been impacted. The people of Sandy Row deserve better than to be ignored.”

DfI turning its back on those damaged by its actions

She also accused the DfI of “turning its back on those whose livelihoods have been damaged by its actions”, which she contrasted with the campaigning she and her party colleague, MLA Edwin Poots, have been carrying out, including pushing for the shop makeover grant.

A DfI spokeswoman maintained it is “fitting that the Irish language will be visible at the station” for both Irish-language commuters and Belfast visitors.

"This is a positive development to promote wider awareness and support for the Irish language,” added the spokeswoman.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins met with Mr Poots, councillor Kelly and a number of Sandy Row stakeholders and residents this week to discuss a range of issues affecting the area.

"The minister outlined her commitment to continue that engagement and to provide support where possible on issues within the department’s remit.”

Last autumn, Durham Street was sealed off to knock down the historic Boyne Bridge as part of work on Grand Central, and the closure is going to last for much of this year.

Trade was decimated, with business owners saying the situation around Sandy Row is now worse than during Covid – and many are worried they won’t see 2026.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons says PSNI advised him to 'barricade' himself at home

By Philip Bradfield, Belfast News Letter, March 27th, 2025

Communities minister Gordon Lyons has revealed that police have been coaching him to “barricade” himself in his home - such is the level of abuse and threat that has been directed at him.

The DUP MLA was speaking ahead of a special BBC NI report on politics programme ‘The View’ tonight.

It reveals the level of abuse and threat suffered by politicians across the political spectrum.

“I've experienced abuse on the street on a daily basis. Now I get nasty, abusive and vulgar messages,” Mr Lyons told the ‘Nolan Show’ yesterday morning.

Someone was recently fined £500 in court for sending him a threatening message.

On PSNI advice he is now taking different routes to work and learning how to “barricade” himself in his own home or office if he is being attacked.

“And yes, those words were used to me, that I should be able to barricade myself in until help can get there,” he said.

UUP MLA John Stewart said he has suffered “vile” comments attacking his family on social media. As a result, he said: “I don't really do national TV interviews, because raising your profile can often come with consequences and attacks.”

Followed home

Sinn Fein MLA Sinéad Ennis said that she has had people follow her when out shopping with her children and has had to explain when they ask: 'Why is that person angry?'

She has been spat at, verbally abused and assaulted in her office, she said.

Alliance MLA David Honeyford said he was assaulted at a football match.

“I've had threats and abuse right up to the point of rape, to myself, where I've had to spend time going to a police station, going through the threats,” he said.

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart said she suffers “vile” abuse on a daily basis.

“It is vile, it is relentless, and it's often not about my politics. It's in the main about my appearance and about how I look and how people perceive how I look to them,” she said.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said a man was convicted in court on Wednesday of assaulting his office staff. He regularly suffers abuse in the street.

Son in tears

“Why should my son have to put up with his father being berated or shouted at or feeling threatened in the street? Why should I walk away with my son in tears?” he asked.

SDLP East Derry MLA Cara Hunter said all representatives face daily abuse but that women especially have to put up with “a torrent of vile misogyny and sexual content”.

She added: “Unless we tackle this we will continue to see talented people forgo a career in politics, depriving the public here of the best representation possible.”

She rarely socialises in her own constituency.

People Before Profile MLA Gerry Carroll said threats made against himself and other community activists in west Belfast recently were made by “racist, far-right agitators”.

“However their hateful rhetoric does not represent that vast majority of people in west Belfast,” he added.

PSNI Chief Superintendent Stephen Murray said women in public life in particular suffer a disproportionate level of abuse.

“We regularly engage with our elected representatives in order to provide information on personal safety and to discuss steps that can be taken to address and reduce the risk of physical or online abuse.”

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