Remember the Disappeared, with no grave to gather round
Irish News, April 17th, 2025
PRO FIDE et PATRIA
EVEN amid the litany of suffering inflicted during the Troubles, the medieval treatment meted out by republican paramilitaries to the group known as the Disappeared was notably inhumane.
The macabre practice of abducting, murdering and secretly burying people – 16 men and one woman, ‘disappeared’ between 1972 and 1985 – left behind deep, dark scars for families denied the basic right of a Christian burial for their loved ones.
The traditions of burial and remembrance are particularly potent in Irish society. It’s one of the reasons that families gather for a Remembrance Mass for the Disappeared every Palm Sunday.
One of the quietly powerful successes to emerge from the peace process has been the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains. Its patient, diligent and confidential work means that the remains of many of the Disappeared have been recovered.
“As republican groups gather this weekend to commemorate their dead, we shouldn’t forget how some IRA members ensured that other families had no grave to gather round
For four families, the agonising wait continues. Hopes have been raised, then dashed, in the searches for the bodies of Joe Lynskey, Robert Nairac and Columba McVeigh.
There has now been fresh information about the fourth unrecovered victim, Seamus Maguire.
His case was referred to the ICLVR in 2022. It has now emerged that he was abducted, killed and secretly buried in the Aghagallon/Derryclone area of Co Antrim in 1976, aged 29.
It means, chillingly, that Mr Maguire, who was from Aghagallon, was likely killed and buried close to home.
‘someone somewhere has a vital piece of information’
Mark Pickard, a former Metropolitan Police detective who is leading the investigation, has described it as a complex case, not least because it dates back almost 50 years.
However, as other investigations undertaken by the commission have shown, there is reason to hope that Mr Maguire’s remains will be recovered.
Mr Pickard says he is convinced that “someone somewhere has a vital piece of information”, and the ICLVR has released a photograph of Mr Maguire which “might jog someone’s memory”.
He has stressed that “our interest is purely humanitarian” and that any information is treated in the strictest confidence and not passed to police: “It will be used solely to help us find Seamus’s remains and to bring them home to his family.”
As various republican groups across Ireland gather this weekend to commemorate their patriot dead, it is worth sparing a thought for how some IRA members ensured that other families had no grave to gather round.
This Easter, they need to share what they know about the fates of Seamus Maguire, Joe Lynskey, Robert Nairac and Columba McVeigh, so they can finally be reunited with their families.
MI5 review of failure to disclose Stakeknife information to be published today
Connla Young, Irish News, April 17th, 2025
AN MI5 review into the failure by the spy agency to disclose information to the team investigating the British agent Stakeknife will be made public today.
It emerged last year that MI5 had failed to disclose hundreds of pages including “significant new information” to the Operation Kenova team.
The investigation was set up in 2016 to examine the activities of the British agent known as Stakeknife – Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci.
While it was previously known Scappaticci worked for the British army’s Force Research Unit (FRU), the documents suppressed by MI5 until recently confirm he was instructed by the agency via his military handlers.
MI5 failed to provide Operation Kenova with information
In a new book, veteran Troubles journalist Martin Dillon recently suggested Stakeknife was a “British intelligence project” rather than an individual, although it has been denied by Operation Kenova, which produced an interim report into his activities last March. Last month the head of Operation Kenova, Sir Iain Livingstone said MI5 has now agreed to allow the release of some private family reports and highlighted his frustration over delays in providing the documents.
He confirmed security checking has been delayed by British government officials until a decision is made about naming Stakeknife, which has not taken place due to a long-standing ‘neither confirm
In recent correspondence to relatives and legal representatives, Mr Livingstone said an external review commissioned by the Director General of MI5, Sir Ken McCallum, was carried out by former Met Police Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball between October 2024 and January 2025.
“It is of course deeply regrettable that this material was discovered and disclosed after the investigative phase of Kenova had concluded and after the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland had made decisions concerning prosecutions of the Kenova cases,” he said.
‘A long way to go’ to restore public confidence
“The circumstances and relevance of the non-disclosed material will form part of the Kenova final report which is due to be published later this year.”
Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, who represents around a dozen families linked to Stakeknife, last night said confidence has been lost.
“It will take an almighty report to dispel all the suspicion and frustration felt be families when they learned of the MI5 non-disclosure,” he said.
“There’s a long way to go to restore a serious loss of confidence.
“It remains to be seen whether or not tomorrow’s report will do that.”
Omagh bomb victim’s father seeks Dublin action for full probe powers
Gallagher asks Dublin for inquiry powers law
John Breslin, Irish News, April 17th, 2025
THE Irish government is being urged to introduce legislation to allow the Omagh Bombing Inquiry to have full powers to seek documents and compel witnesses to give testimony.
Michael Gallagher’s son Aiden was murdered along with 28 other people, including a woman pregnant with twins, in the August 1998 Real IRA atrocity.
He flagged the idea amid criticism over the Dublin government’s cooperation agreement with the inquiry chair.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said the memorandum of understanding between inquiry chair Lord Turnbull and the Republic’s Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan provides “no ability to compel witnesses and no guarantee of full disclosure”.
Not cooperation by any stretch of imagination
“This is not cooperation in any stretch of the imagination. This is a slap in the face to the families who want to get to the truth… a gaslighting exercise of the victims of Omagh,” the East Belfast MP said.
Mr Gallagher said Mr Robinson was “absolutely right” on documents and witnesses as the first page of the memo states the inquiry has “no jurisdiction or power” in relation to south of the border.
It is also unclear whether the inquiry will be able to deliver findings in relation to individuals and agencies in the Republic, Mr Gallagher said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it is important that Ireland is “open and transparent” to ensure “the fullest information” is made available.
Questioned about reports of retired gardaí being advised not to testify, he said: “I regret that if that’s the case. I think people should testify and people should cooperate.”
The taoiseach noted that the bomb was made in the Republic and many people south of the border were connected to its planting. He said the “key issue at stake” was whether security forces were aware of the attack and did not intervene.
Mr Gallagher said the unique cross-border nature of the events before and after the bombing strengthens his argument for legislation to be introduced in Dublin.
Compel delivery of documents and witnesses to Inquiry
This could be specific to the Omagh bombing and give the inquiry powers to compel the delivery of documents and witnesses to testify, he argued.
Michael Gallagher’s son Aiden was murdered in the 1998 Omagh bombing
“If we do not get the full story from both sides of the border, you are only reading half the book,” Mr Gallagher said.
The inquiry said in a statement yesterday that it will “continue to discuss further cooperation with the government of Ireland, such as taking evidence from witnesses from the Republic of Ireland”.
Earlier, Mr O’Callaghan, the justice minister, said legislation may be needed for witnesses such as gardaí to appear before the inquiry.
“It’s my intention and the intention of government to ensure that witnesses from Ireland, be they gardaí or former civil servants, or anyone with information, to provide evidence that can be used by the inquiry,” he said.
Veterans 'are demonised by republican lawfare'
COMMISSIONER TELLS OF 'FRUSTRATION AND ANGER' OVER LEGACY 'FOCUS' ON MEMBERS OF SECURITY FORCES
Liam Tunney, Belfast Telegraph, April 17th, 2025
The UK Government is facilitating republican “lawfare” on former members of the security forces, Northern Ireland's Veterans Commissioner has said.
In a statement marking 27 years since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, David Johnstone launched a scathing attack on how the UK and Irish governments have dealt with the legacy of the Troubles.
Mr Johnstone said veterans had been left feeling “betrayed” by the process.
“All these years later, while society has moved on with life, veterans, many of whom are also victims, have been left behind and feel forgotten,” he said.
“Fast forward to 2025 and we now have a legacy process that is focused almost exclusively on the actions of lawful state forces.
“There are over 30 potential inquests into Troubles-related killings and around 600 civil cases in the pipeline, with the vast majority involving security forces.
“At Narrow Water in August 1979, 18 soldiers lost their lives in an IRA terrorist attack that was instigated in the Republic of Ireland, yet the UK and Irish governments are tone deaf when it comes to an inquiry about this event or many other similar events.
‘Equal Justice’
“Everyone in a civilised society should have the right to justice, but it must be equal justice and not a legal process that only scrutinises the actions of the security forces and ignores the context of the incidents and the reality of what was going on in Northern Ireland at that time.” Earlier this year the High Court ruled that soldiers were not justified in killing four IRA members during a 1992 ambush at Clonoe, Co Tyrone.
Four Provisional IRA members — Kevin Barry O'Donnell (21), Sean O'Farrell (22), Peter Clancy (21) and Patrick Vincent (20) — were shot dead by the soldiers minutes after they opened fire on Coalisland RUC station in Co Tyrone.
Mr Justice Michael Humphreys found the soldiers did not have an honest belief in the necessity of using lethal force.
The Government later said it would seek a judicial review into the ruling.
Mr Johnstone however accused the Government of facilitating republican “lawfare” on security force members.
No true peace while current policies pursued
“During Operation Banner, military personnel were sent out under lawful military orders, to keep the peace, but are now being subjected to civilian law with the threat of prosecution up to 50 years later,” he said. “For those who put their own lives at risk to save life and protect property, and to now be targeted by legal 'warfare', and regularly demonised for their brave service, when the facts are that over 90% of the killings during the Troubles were committed by terrorists, is both immoral and unfair.
“It is my hope that as the UK and Irish Governments, political parties and wider society reflects on another Belfast Agreement anniversary, they recognise the anger and frustration of the veteran community at a 'peace process' that has left them behind.
“Many of them lost colleagues to terrorist actions, and continue to bear the physical and mental scars.
“As Veterans Commissioner I am convinced there will never be true peace or reconciliation in NI while the republican movement, facilitated by a Labour Government intent on reopening inquests, continues its lawfare strategy and demonisation of the brave men and women who served in Northern Ireland.”
Nine out of 10 have zero faith in NI parties
Shauna Corr, Irish News, April 17th, 2025
‘North is not as polarised a society as it is often portrayed’
AN OVERWHELMING majority of people across Northern Ireland have no confidence in political parties or government regardless of their background or religion.
The finding emerged from the first world values survey carried out to examine values and attitudes, more than 25 years on from the Good Friday Agreement.
Views on politics in practice were largely negative regardless of sex, age, education, religion or wealth, and after 27 years in which the assembly was in collapse for 40% of its existence – much more so than in many western European countries including Britain.
But the report, produced by the Policy Institute at King’s College London in conjunction with Social Change Initiative, also uncovered some major positives with people reporting much higher levels of trust in civil society organisations such as universities, NGOs, women’s groups, trade unions and churches.
‘Less divided than we think’
It also found we are much less divided than we think with much of the population falling in the middle of the political spectrum. Social attitudes to issues like abortion, divorce, same-sex relationships and euthanasia rank the north among the most socially liberal nations in the world, even if it still lags behind England, Scotland and Wales.
“The world values survey gives us really useful insights into the values that drive people,” an SCI spokesperson said.
“It is sometimes too easy to box people off. This work says people are more nuanced in their attitudes and driven by values. We need to talk more about those values and find common purpose.”
The report outlined how: “Despite our history of division, there is limited evidence from the survey of widespread political polarisation (strong negative feelings about the ‘opposing’ party or political group).
“NI is not as polarised or divided a society as is often portrayed. The data suggests more common ground exists across and between groups around shared values, with less support for extreme positions.
“There is increasingly a high degree of inclusivity and acceptance of difference” particularly among younger people.
The research also uncovered “continued regret about the UK having left the EU” with “mixed views on the possibility of NI leaving the UK”.
Five categories
Following the research, people were split into five categories based on their values:
• Disaffected pessimists (17%) who are financially insecure, let down by the system, with low trust in institutions and wary of others.
• Anti-establishment urbanites (14%) who are dissatisfied with the economy and politics, sceptical of authority and socially liberal.
• Comfortable progressives (32%) who are financially secure, compassionate, trusting and socially liberal, confident in institutions and unhappy with politics in practice.
• Moderate traditionalists (22%) who have more traditional values, are quite religious and confident in authorities like the church.
• Confident individualists (15%) who are financially secure, selfreliant and pro-competition.
The data suggests more common ground exists across and between groups around shared values, with less support for extreme positions, Social Change Initiative said.
‘Disaffected pessimists’
Researchers found that ‘disaffected pessimists’, who were least likely to have a university education were most likely to get their information from social media.
This group has the youngest demographic, with just 17% aged over 55, while 63% were female, 55% weren’t religious and they were split between rural and urban areas.
They are also least likely to trust people they met for the first time and more likely than the other groups to think immigration has had a negative impact, with 67% supporting stricter limits.
Like all of the groups, they came from all voting persuasions and are also largely dissatisfied with government (89%), political parties (93%) and parliament (94%) while 61% worry about their children not getting a good education.
Of all the groups, they also had the lowest level of confidence in the press (5%).
Anti-establishment urbanites, of which 75% live in urban areas, were also largely female (55%) with 32% aged over 55. Equality was the most important core value to the group but they are unhappy with the economy, politics and sceptical about public institutions.
They are slightly wary of people they’ve met for the first time, with 45% saying they would trust them, but 68% support letting people immigrate to Northern Ireland.
No confidence in political institutions
Eighty-eight per cent have no confidence in government, with the figure also 88% for political parties, 95% in relation to parliament and 92% for the press.
Comfortable progressives make up the biggest group. They are most trusting of people they have met for the first time and more liberal on social issues like abortion and casual sex.
This is also the oldest group with the highest proportion (57%) of men, with half aged 55-plus. It is also the most positive group in terms of immigration, with 76% saying Northern Ireland should let people in.
More people in this group have a university degree (41%) and they are also more financially secure but believe resources and money should be shared equally, while governments should make sure everyone is provided for. Some 91% have no confidence in political parties, with the figure 87% in relation to parliament, 84% for government and 22% for the press.
Moderate traditionalists are the most religious group (64%) and have the most confidence in the church but 55% say they are slightly wary of people they’ve met for the first time.
They also have mixed views on the impact of immigration, but favour a more open immigration policy and are less liberal on social issues like same-sex relationships.
According to the research, this group tends to think individuals should provide for themselves and that government should play a limited role.
Some 90% of this group are satisfied with their life and level of control while morally, they value loyalty, authority and purity (chaste body and mind).
Some 66% of this group use social media to get information about the world and like the other groups, they largely have no confidence in government (74%), political parties (93%), parliament (78%) and press (91%).
Confident individualists, which includes the fewest under 34 years old and an almost even split of men and women, are quite likely to be university educated, financially secure and are quite liberal.
They care least about equality in terms of sharing resources and money but laud authority, purity and loyalty. Democracy is important to this group but they believe strongly that individuals should provide for themselves with limited help from government. They are also pro-competition and self-reliant.
This is the only group with more people living in a rural than an urban area (57/43%). They are also most satisfied with their lives and level of control and almost three quarters are not worried about losing or finding a job.
In terms of immigration, they are more negative, with 48% saying there should be stricter limits and like all the other groups they are largely dissatisfied with how politics is working and have little confidence in the press (18%) but do trust charities, NGOs, the church, police, courts and the army.
Attitude shifts and challenges
SOCIAL Change Initiative says the report’s findings “indicate a shift in social attitudes and values among the population and challenge some of our long-held perceptions” while raising “several concerns, but also suggest ways forward that build on our shared values”.
“Confidence in democratic institutions and satisfaction with the current operation of the political system here are all strikingly low. There is also very low trust in the press,” it said.
“However, we have an interest in politics and believe the democratic process can realise change.
“Civil society institutions such as universities, women’s groups and other NGOs enjoy much higher levels of confidence and could take a more leading role in building inclusive civic engagement and encouraging more participative democracy.
“The survey suggests young people are more disillusioned with the functioning of a democratic society, presenting a challenge for future stability if left unattended.”
The group, which works collaboratively to make societies fairer, more inclusive and peaceful, says it highlights the “need to create spaces for value-based conversations, focusing less on religion and identity politics and more on the issues that are most important in people’s lives – family, friends, leisure, work – acknowledging the plurality of views and experiences that exist”.
“Those conversations also need to address social inequalities including the issue of substance misuse, which is a growing concern impacting on social cohesion,” it said.
Some 3,056 adults were surveyed for the world values survey fieldwork across the UK, including a representative group of 446 from the north, 523 in Scotland and 437 in Wales.
Researchers say care was taken to use a representative sample to ensure the Northern Ireland attitudes were captured. This took age, location, sex, religion and education level into account.
Mitchell urges next generation to ‘Stay in north and cement peace’
Mark Robinson, Irish News, April 17th, 2025
SENATOR George Mitchell has urged the next generation to stay in the north and not leave peace to fate amid a “brain drain”, 27 years on from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
The former US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland under President Clinton made the comments during a speech at a Passing the Torch event at Queen’s University Belfast yesterday.
The event aimed to explore the power of community-driven activism and young voices as a force for change.
A former chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), he urged the 800 young people in the audience to stay in the north and not leave peace to fate.
“Today, I ask the people of Northern Ireland, especially the young people, to look forward, into the future, the deep and sometimes unfathomable future, and to enshrine the peace, making it last for their own children, and their children’s children, and beyond,” he said.
“Peace was fostered and preserved and encouraged. Now, quite frankly, it seems normal. The cities are bright. Towns are bustling. The villages along the old border are at ease.”
He added that it was difficult for those who have grown up during peacetime to “imagine how much life for people on this island has changed”.
“There is now a clear path in front of them. This path may even appear easy to some,” he said.
Counselling against complacency
“To others, it is a path that can be happily left to fate. But those of us who have seen war must counsel against complacency.”
While acknowledging that there was still work to be done on issues including divisive political rhetoric and disputes over language and flags, he added that the peace must “evolve” and become more inclusive for minorities and the disadvantaged.
Senator George Mitchell delivers his keynote lecture ‘Passing the Torch’ at Queen’s University Belfast yesterday
He added that they “are needed here in order to sustain this ongoing peace”.
“Do not let your truths and your dreams leave when there is so much to be done at home.
“Do not allow the bomb dust to obscure the winds of change,” he went on to say.
“We pass the torch to you.” The event also included a panel discussion with three young activists, covering topics including votes for 16-year-olds.
“ Do not allow the bomb dust to obscure the winds of change
Dr Ryan Feeney, QUB governance and external affairs vicepresident, said that the event showed there was a “willingness and a hunger” among young people, with comments from the panellists reflecting the senator’s message.
“It’s not just good enough that we have peace; it’s not just good enough that we have an executive and an assembly, we now need to really live the peace and make it a success,” he said.
Clarity sought on job adverts which ask for 'political views'
Liam Tunney, Belfast Telegraph, April 17th, 2025
ALLIANCE MLA QUERIES NEED TO PUT QUESTION ON MONITORING FORMS
There is a need for clarity over why NI job applicants are increasingly being asked for their political opinions, an Alliance Party MLA has said.
The requirement has been included in the monitoring section of several job applications on HR company website GetGot, which advertises for vacancies across NI.
Job vacancies for the Special EU Programmes Body (SPEUB), the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and a number of NI's local councils are currently advertised using the company's services.
The site also carries applications for jobs within the NIFRS and the PSNI, as well as several private sector organisations.
This newspaper accessed the monitoring forms attached to several applications, many of which contained a requirement to answer a question on political opinion.
Response options varied; CCMS applications required applicants to choose between 'broadly left', 'broadly right', 'broadly unionist' or 'broadly nationalist', with other options including 'no fixed opinion', 'not specified' or 'prefer not to say'.
Roles advertised within Mid Ulster District Council invited applicants to choose between 'nationalist generally', unionist generally' or 'other'.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council asked applicants to choose between 'unionist generally', 'nationalist generally', 'other' or 'unknown'.
Further roles within Fermanagh and Omagh, Causeway Coast and Glens and Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon councils did not include the question at all.
Requirements of Fair Employment legislation
Collecting monitoring data is carried out by employers to fulfil the requirements of the Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998, which outlaws discrimination on the basis of religious belief or political opinion.
Following guidance issued by the Equality Commission in 2007, the NI Civil Service took the decision to use 'community background' as a proxy for 'political opinion'.
Alliance Party MLA Paula Bradshaw said there was a need for clarity around the question of political opinion on monitoring forms.
“We would be interested in clarity around why this question is being asked,” she said.
“Although we understand that 'political opinion' is a category under Northern Ireland equality law, there isn't necessarily a need to request it in this manner.
“It seems to demonstrate a misunderstanding as to how equality monitoring works.
“In addition to that, the category of 'political opinion' is so much broader than simply left versus right or unionist versus nationalist, as recent elections results clearly demonstrate.”
Get Got said each individual organisation was responsible for the content of its job applications.
“Each individual organisation decides what questions are contained within their version of the monitoring form on the GetGot application,” said a spokesperson.
“We have not received any complaints in relation to this section, however any complaints or queries would be directed to the HR departments of the organisation who created the job.
“Most organisations provide HR contact details for online application to have their queries progressed.”
Tony Benn was unlikely supporter of a united Ireland who recognised value of dialogue
Donal Fallon, Irish Independent, April 17th, 2025
In August 1969, the British government deployed troops on the streets of Northern Ireland. This decision was taken by a Labour government, led by Harold Wilson, who insisted the measure was temporary.
The British army was initially welcomed by besieged nationalist communities, with civil rights activist Eamonn McCann recalling that "at Butcher Gate, William Street and other army positions at the edge of the Bogside, women squabbled about whose turn it was to take the soldiers their tea”. It would not take long for relations to sour.
Within that Labour cabinet was Tony Benn, born a century ago this month. It was a peculiar first engagement with Ireland for an MP who would come to prominence here for his outspoken support for a united Ireland. At the time of Benn's death, Gerry Adams described him as "a true friend of the Irish people”.
From the DUP's Sammy Wilson came unlikely praise: "I may have hated every word he said, but I have to admit, he said it with style.”
The son of William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate, Tony Benn was not typical of the new breed of Labour MP when first elected in 1950. Privately educated and with a looming peerage he would publicly renounce, he stood in contrast to the emerging left wing within the party, embodied by Aneurin Bevan (the MP for Ebbw Vale and a former coalminer), who insisted: "I never used to regard myself as a politician, but rather a projectile discharged from the Welsh valleys.”
Benn, viewed as a moderate figure in the 1950s party, would move sharply to its left in subsequent decades, with an obituary rightly describing him as "one of the few British politicians who became more left-wing after having actually served in government”.
His rejection of his peerage was much more than political posturing. Under archaic rules governing Westminster, such an MP would be automatically moved to the House of Lords, an institution he regarded as "the British Outer Mongolia for retired politicians”. The Peerage Act 1963, which allowed hereditary peers to disclaim their titles, was a victory for democracy and allowed Benn's return to the Commons.
"Governments must be subject to checks and balances,” he insisted, "but these should be democratic.”
The hammering of Labour in the 1979 general election, losing 50 seats and conceding enormous political ground to Margaret Thatcher, was to prove a catalyst for Benn and others. To his mind, Thatcher had not won a battle of ideas, but instead triumphed in their total absence. It led him to insist that "one could argue that Mrs Thatcher and the Conservative party won last year with very little opposition to the ideas that she preached”.
For Labour to be relevant again, Benn felt the party needed to outline what it believed in and how it differed from its opponents.
Ireland featured prominently in his diaries
The cliche that "every time the English tried to solve the Irish Question, the Irish changed the question” held little appeal for Benn. Ireland features prominently in his diaries, which were published in eight volumes, primarily in his own lifetime, showing the musings of a British politician keen to understand Ireland better.
A 2008 letter from Ian Paisley warranted inclusion in the diary entries, with Paisley writing to say: "It would be strange if we didn't have differences, one with another. The secret is to overcome them, and agree to differ, and I think that's what you and I have done.”
Controversies around Benn's invitation to Gerry Adams to visit Westminster in October 1993, which led to the issuing of an exclusion order against the Sinn Féin leader, were forgotten a month later when The Observer reported that "a secret communication chain has been running between the government and the IRA with the prime minister's approval”.
As Benn's biographer Jad Adams noted, his view was that "all conflicts end with discussion between the combatants”.
With his centenary, it's interesting to ponder if there would be a home for Tony Benn in the contemporary British Labour parliamentary party. In an interview with historian Eric Hobsbawm in 1980, when the party was still licking the wounds of electoral defeat, he insisted: "I think we must be a broad church. We have got a lot of different groups in the Labour party.”
The keys to success, Benn felt, were for Labour to remain "a broad party… with a capacity to translate policy into action by using a parliamentary leadership that remains accountable”.
He had the ability to acknowledge the achievements of those on other wings of the party, writing that "full credit must go to New Labour for the decision to increase public investment in education, health and international aid”, though he was scathing about Tony Blair's decision to take Britain into wars he felt "were illegal, immoral and unwinnable”.
Winning just 34pc of the vote share in the last general election (may we Irish never abandon proportional representation), Labour in Britain has been deeply fractured by internal divisions, with the suspension of MPs for voting on issues like the two-child benefit cap and the winter fuel payments cut. Benn (or the Bennites) may never have seized the Labour Party, but they at least always had a place in it.
Top officer subjected to racism backs ‘PSNI Sean’ sectarianism complaints
Connla Young, Crime and Security Correspondent, Irish News, April 17th, 2025
A PROMINENT police officer subjected to racist comments has voiced support to a former Catholic officer who says he was the victim of sectarian abuse.
Chief inspector Andy George, President of the National Black Police Association (NBPA), has backed calls for a review of cultural practice within the PSNI after a former colleague, known by the alias ‘Sean’, revealed details of the anti-Catholic abuse he suffered while serving in the PSNI.
The former officer retired on medical grounds last December aged 45.
The intervention by Mr George comes weeks after SDLP leader Claire Hanna called for a review of the PSNI and voiced concern that policing has drifted from the reforms introduced by the Patten Commission.
During a recent recruitment drive just 29% of potential recruits were from the Catholic community.
Former officer ‘Sean’ was among the first Catholic recruits to join the PSNI in 2002 and was later posted to a Tactical Support Group (TSG), better known to many as the ‘riot squad’.
Involved in the GAA, he previously lined out for his own club and the PSNI’s Gaelic team, which included Peadar Heffron, who was seriously injured when a bomb exploded under his car in 2010.
‘Sean’ went public earlier this year to reveal the extent of anti-Catholic abuse he faced, adding it is time to expose an “unhealthy culture of silence” around sectarianism within PSNI.
The ex-officer, who has been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder, told of foul mouthed comments from PSNI colleagues for wearing ashes on his forehead on Ash Wednesday.
He recalled hearing police officers using the anti-Catholic slur ‘Fenian’ while nationalist politicians who appeared on television were sworn at.
Some former police colleagues even whistled ‘The Sash’ around the Twelfth, the ex-officer claims.
A group of 43 former TSG officers have described Sean’s allegations as “categorically untrue and offering to provide sworn testimony”.
Joined police ‘to protect most vulnerable in society’
Mr George, who is from a Protestant background, said he has been in touch with the former officer.
“The reason I got involved was because I could just see a group of people targeting one individual,” he said.
“I joined policing personally to stand up for others, to protect the most vulnerable in society and to see somebody who is very isolated, who is trying to bring across what their experience is within policing, were, rather than listening to what that perspective was, I saw a lot of people just trying to attack him and deligitimise him.”
SDLP leader Claire Hanna has called for a review of the PSNI and has voiced concern that policing has drifted from the reforms introduced by the Patten Commission
Mr George has recently messaged the former officer “to make sure he knows that he’s not just alone…more from a welfare point of view than anything else”.
He added that whether “Sean is right or wrong in what he is alleging, whether it happened in the way he said or not, that for me isn’t specifically the issue.
To see somebody who is very isolated, who is trying to bring across what their experience is within policing, were, rather than listening to what that perspective was, I saw a lot of people just trying to attack him and deligitimise him
“The issue is, it should be heard, it should be brought forward and it just doesn’t look right for me when a large group of colleagues bandy together to try to delegitimise somebody in some way, not withstanding their right to respond to the allegations,” he said.
“In the five years that I have been president of the (NBPA) dealing with similar issues of race across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, I haven’t seen the same kind of coalition forming to push back on someone’s allegations, which is worrying for me.”
Recognising differences but treating people equally
The chief inspector said he has worked closely with the Catholic Police Guild of Northern Ireland “to make sure we create a police service that recognised everybody’s difference but treats everybody in the same way regardless of their background”.
Earlier this year chairman of the guild, Superintendent Gerry Murray, called for an independent review of the PSNI, similar to that carried out by the Baroness Louise Casey into the culture and standards of the Metropolitan Police, which found widespread “discrimination” within the force.
“Within the Police Service of Northern Ireland, I would stand with the Catholic guild and others calling for Baroness Casey-style review,” Mr George said.
Chief Inspector Andy George is supporting ‘Sean’ who went public earlier this year to reveal the extent of anti-Catholic abuse he faced inside the PSNI
“I would like to think most people don’t necessarily care what your background is but it’s like racism, there are issues there and they need to be looked at.
“Us trying to hide them, conceal them, and not have them come out a little bit does not allow us, in the long term, to overcome those.”
Mr George does not believe that since the PSNI was established the force has “explored everybody’s individualism and identities within the service”.
“I think it’s something that the service hasn’t wanted to confront in a certain way and the current environment that we are seeing with the pushback in diversity inclusion and other identity issues, I think that is really starting to play out in policing a lot more.
“We are staring to see the environment become a little bit more hostile for those from minority backgrounds.”
The long-serving officer would also welcome a cultural audit.
“We had a cultural audit about a year ago, but the cultural audit the PSNI did initially didn’t pick up sectarianism, racism and people’s experiences of bullying etc,” he said.
“It picked up leadership, it picked up some feelings, but it wasn’t as indepth as it should be.”
Outside audit needed
He believes any future audit should be led by “somebody from outside”.
“It should be somebody who will be seen as an honest broker, somebody independent.”
The chief inspector, who previously worked in the PSNI’s armed response team, said in his experience firearms, TSG and “intelligence are probably some of the most difficult environments to get right”.
“The culture is generally a little bit worse in those departments for a number of reasons,” he said
“It’s because of the environment, it’s sometimes seen as a little bit more of a macho environment,” he added.
Mr George said those in such units tend to spend more “sitting about and getting involved in banter and different bits and pieces”.
“What may have been wrapped up as banter for some could be deeply hurtful for others,” he said.
Mr George, who has been subjected to offensive comments including the ‘N’ word and ‘P’ word, said some racism and sectarianism is not direct.
“People aren’t stupid enough most of the time to express their thoughts and their viewpoints in relation to sectarianism and racism,” he said.
“Some do, but they are the minority I would say.
“It’s the wider piece where it’s a little more like microaggressions we would call it from a race point of view… the things sometimes that you can’t always put your finger on but you are treated slightly differently to others.”
“I would say a lot of it a little bit more nuanced.”
