“a good friend of mine”
I mentioned the reaction of Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy, MP, MLA, to the operational matter of the seizure of assets and searches in south Armagh this morning – “Sean Hughes is a sound Republican.” [Is that like being a "good republican"? - Ed] Possibly. He also told BBC NI’s Martina Purdy that Sean Hughes was “a very good friend” of his “a good friend of mine and has been for very many years and I’m very proud of that.” [BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra approx 13mins in]. Here’s some more from Conor Murphy’s statement
“Sean has been charged with nothing. Neither have any members of his family. It is unacceptable. Undoubtedly many people will see a more sinister hand behind the SOCA operation this morning. SOCA is based in and run from London. As in the past when political unionism gets itself into difficulties, as the DUP have in recent weeks, the faceless opponents of Irish Republicanism who are still in prominent positions will seek to come to their rescue with operations like we have witnessed today.”
[The securocrats are back! - Ed] And on Stormont Live today Conor Murphy’s NI Executive colleague, Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew, MP, MLA, was asked by Jim Fitzpatrick, “Was [Conor Murphy] not prejudging an operational process there, and what does it say about your party’s support and desire for the devolution of policing and justice?”
[Michelle Gildernew] “Well, I think if anything it strengthens the need to have devolution of policing and justice as quickly as possible. We need decisions, we need accountability, and we need decisions to be taken by a local minister.”
More from that Stormont Live interview
[Michelle Gildernew] “I don’t know all the details of the raid, but there have been a number of things that have happened recently where decisions have been taken we’re not happy about and we will want to be asking very very serious questions to the policing board and to Matt Baggot”
When questioned, by Mark Devenport, about Conor Murphy getting involved in an operational matter
[Michelle Gildernew] “Like I say, I don’t know all the details, but I think Conor is entitled to react when a constituent has been treated in the way that his constituent was, I think it was this morning. You know, we have to stand up for the rights of our constituents, there’s no dichotomy in that, and we’ll continue to do that and we’ll continue to question where policing seems to be political or seems to be badly judged. Certainly in this case I don’t know what the justification for it was, but I think Conor was right to come out and react the way he did.
Which prompted Jim Fitzpatrick’s final question
[Jim Fitzpatrick] “If you don’t know the justification for it presumably Conor Murphy doesn’t, might it not be best to wait ’til that is clear?”
[Michelle Gildernew] “Well I don’t know what the, like I say, I don’t know what the rationale was for that, but I feel that the arrest this morning, or the raid on the home was politically motivated and, from that point of view, Conor as MP for Newry and Armagh was entitled to question that decision.”
Adds From BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra [approx 13 mins in]
[Martina Purdy] “You know this man personally and you’re vouching for him?”
[Conor Murphy] “I’m not like other people, I’ll not say I know of him. I know him very well. He’s a good friend of mine and has been for very many years and I’m very proud of that.”
Surely Archie you then agree that pretty much half of the members of the British parliament should also spend time in the ‘slammer’ alongsides Mr Hughes.
Good point skullion-and while we’re at it most of Dail Eireann too.
Predictable reaction from Murphy describing Hughes as a supporter of the peace process, which as we know is SF shorthand for “cut the guy a bit of slack”. Bet Bernie Madoff’s legal team now realise how negligent they were in not going with a defence of “he was a supporter of Bush’s war on terrorism”. Bernie would surely have walked free!!
Are Big Ian and Peter Robinson not convicted criminals? I think Big Ian was in the slammer and you could google Clontibret. But to hell with casting up!
Is he, in fact, “the Surgeon” as named in Eamon Collins’ book? yes or no? If he isn’t, ok. If he is, he faces the same situation as other killers – reprieve under the GFA.
The final reprieve, however, is less susceptible to political negotiation.
Something those “born again Christians” amongst us choose to forget when they cheer on the deaths of women and children of those that they disagree with politically.
pancho – 8-07 – spot on.
Benefit fraudsters have rights as well you know. How many thousands have been done for “doing the double”? Should they be denied the vote? If they compound their “guilt” by voting SF, should they be interned? There are those who think so – and they are in the TUV.
If whataboutery is to be completely banned, then how can we ever discuss hypocrisy ?
Hypocrisy is an important thread here. Unionists accused people of not being sufficiently committed to peaceful and democratic means. There are rules, procedures and ballot boxes which should be followed by all decent politicians. This is quite correct, except the argument completely collapses when you note that unionist history is littered with events where unionists either threatened to overthrow the state, or associated with illegal terrorist organizations and their representatives themselves.
I’d rather get over the past and see our politicians get on with strengthening our country and providing good government. I’d be very happy to draw a line under the past transgressions of the unionists. But they are the ones that keep bringing this stuff up. How can anybody take lectures from the people who stood on a podium alongside Billy Wright (W McCrea) or wrote articles for a UDA magazine, over which they are subsequently discharged from the UDR (D Burnside) ? Or like Mr Dodds who condemned the police for daring to take action against loyalists ? Or Michael McGimpsey and Bob Stoker for their shameful failure to take a stand against intimidation of residents in an apartment block near Sandy Row ?
They are all reprehensible acts, Comrade, but unless you are arguing that it isn’t wrong to beat your wife because you know of another man who beats his wife, you don’t have a valid argument – and even then, it’s hardly rational.
Sorry for taking Archie P out. He’s often a good contributor, but there’s a certain legacy matter he refused to deal with me directly over, so he’s out until that gets sorted.
Dave, I’ve taken your post down as a precaution. ONly because I was not sure of the provenance of some of the detail of what you’d put up there.
Surely you should set up a historical inquiry about legacy matter with Archie P…..or ask yourself and big Pete Baker why you and he didn’t stop the libelling of Willie Frazer by your Republican / IRA supporters. Maybe we’ll all get an answer
No problem, Mick, the source was Kevin Myers in the Irish Times, 2002:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2002/1210/1036708373350.html
Also, on the question of who “The Surgeon” is: journalist John Cassidy named him in an article in the Sunday Mirror in Jul 22, 2001. And Peter Robinson used parliamentary privilege in 2002 to name an individual as a member of PIRA’s Army Council, listing acts that are attributed to “The Surgeon” in Toby Harden’s book as acts that Mr Robinson attributes to the individual he names. The obvious inference is that the named individual and “The Surgeon” are the same person.
Hughes also defrauds his friend Gildernew’s department….whilst Bo Peep Brid Rodgers held the position….remember her, she lost her sheep !!1
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BORDER ‘SURGEON’ FACES PROBE INTO SHEEP FRAUD; Hughes alleged to have
Sunday Mirror, Jul 22, 2001 | by JOHN CASSIDY
A CONVICTED benefit cheat, identified in a controversial best- selling book as the infamous border terrorist The Surgeon, is under investigation over an alleged sheep subsidy fraud.
The Sunday Mirror has learned that Department of Agriculture officials are probing allegations that Sean Hughes had been claiming subsidies for more sheep than he may have had.
Following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth on a farm at Meigh in south Armagh, the Department decided to widen the cull of sheep to prevent any further spread.
It is understood Hughes, who runs the family farm complex in Jonesborough, had brought just over 40 sheep to the slaughter centre in nearby Newry, where they were shot by marksmen last month.
However, it is understood the Department has documentation which is claimed to show that Hughes and other farmers may have been claiming European subsidies for excess numbers of sheep.
Hughes is just one of a number of farmers along the south Armagh border under investigation for suspected fraud.
The inquiry is being carried out by the Department’s Grants Subsidy and Inspection Division (GSID).