Assembly to debate Eames Bradley

The assembly are to debate the Eames Bradley report today. There is little doubt that sparks will fly. As I have already mentioned, Jim Allister (and our own fair_deal) have called on Jarleth Burns to “name and shame” the unionists who Mr. Burns claims were “a bit dishonest and almost duplicitous“ in their responses to the report.

The News Letter is reporting that David Simpson of the DUP has denied that the DUP were the ones being “duplicitous” saying: “The people of Northern Ireland have been outraged by the Eames-Bradley report, which has at its centre an objective to treat everyone who was killed in the Troubles the same.
There is certainly no duplicity on the part of the Democratic Unionist Party. The Shankill Butchers cannot be placed on the same level as their innocent victims, nor can the Shankill bomber be placed on the same level as those whom he killed. That has always been our position.”

Reg Empey, however, suggested that Mr. Burns’s comments might well be correct: “If a member of the team is motivated to come out and say that, then it means they are upset about the difference between what they were told privately and what is now being said in public.”

He also suggested that “Whoever they were they should own up and tell people what it was they said.” and that “I don’t know who went to see them, but I presume it shouldn’t be too hard to find out.”

I doubt any unionists will own up during the debate today. If Mr. Burns thought that his remarks would settle the situation or gain credibility for the report I suspect he is mistaken. He is now left in a situation whereby he is likely to have to name the unionist politicians in question: otherwise his, and the Eames Bradley group as a whole’s position, is likely to be even further damaged in unionists eyes.

Turgon

This author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.