MC CORD’S PRESSURE WORKS

Posted By: September 26, 2022

IRISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING

DISTRIBUTED TO CONGRESS BY IRISH NATIONAL CAUCUS

 

MC CORD’S PRESSURE WORKS: GOVERNMENT WILL SEND A REPRESENTATIVE TO VIEW “THE VICTIMS’ STORIES.’’

—FR. SEAN MC MANUS

‘”INCHING FORWARD” UK Govt WILL send a rep to see film opposing amnesty plans as families tell of progress.

Jason Johnson. The Sun. London. Monday, September 26, 2022.

THE UK government has agreed to send a minister to the screening of a powerful film on the impact of Troubles murders on eight families, the Irish Sun has learned.

New Northern Ireland Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris had turned down an invitation to see the production’s first showing this week.

But on Monday, after the families revealed over the weekend he would not be there, the NIO emailed a representative to say department minister Lord Caine would attend.

The film, set to screen at Leinster House on Wednesday, features people from both main communities whose lives were ravaged by killings involving security force informers.

It was made by families, out of their own pockets, in opposition to the British Government’s controversial legacy bill.

Initially The Victim’s Voices was due to premiere at an event in Westminster on September 12, but that was postponed following the death of the Queen.

“He’s coming to represent the Secretary of State and that’s to be welcomed.”

Last week the SoS had asked for a copy of the film to be sent to him “to be viewed privately in his own time,” a move which Mr McCord branded “an insult to victims”.

Mr. McCord said that the UK’s planned amnesty was under so much sustained opposition that he and those battling alongside him feel they are “inching forward”.

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He said: “We just keep at it. That’s what it’s about.

“When my son was murdered, I came out saying that those who did it were UVF informers and people looked at me.

“I said they were informers from the UVF Mount Vernon crew and look at the way it is now – the UVF’s Mount Vernon crew have been broken up and exposed.

“That’s what we do – we keep at it.”

“A POSITIVE THING”

John Teggart, whose father Danny was one of 10 people shot dead by the British army following the introduction of internment in 1971, said he was hopeful the passage of the “bill of shame” had stalled.

He said: “The film was timed for when it was to start going through the House of Lords on September 15.”

“But that’s been postponed, and I don’t see anything, from what I have heard, about it being rescheduled for the near future.

“So that in itself is a positive thing.”

“LISTEN TO THE VICTIMS”

He said the Truth and Justice Movement was formed a year ago and, in that time, “we have got all the political parties in the whole of Ireland backing us to oppose this bill.

“The only ones bringing it forward are the Tories and it’s only got this far, through the House of Commons, because of the majority they have.

“We will see what happens. But the British government has to listen to the victims.

“They have said that this bill would be good for all of us, and that is lies.”

“KEEPING AT IT’

The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is set to wipe the slate clean for anyone, paramilitary or state forces, involved in Troubles’ crime before 1998.

Mr. McCord said: “People said to us a year ago that what we were doing was a ‘token protest.’

“I said ‘it’s not because we are going to beat these people.”

“And I knew we could, and we are keeping at it.”

“It took us a few weeks and we had that historic document signed by all the political parties in Ireland rejecting these proposals.”

 

“NOT EXPECTED”

“It brought people together in a way that many others couldn’t.

the British government was never expecting this so yes, we are moving forward with no handouts, paying for everything ourselves.

And we are showing this film in Dublin, at Queen’s and in Washington and we want to take to the EU Parliament and to the UN.”