A campaigner who lost his son to paramilitary violence and who has won the right to challenge Brexit in the Supreme Court, has spoken of his disgust and disappointment at being called “puny” by an MLA.
In a video by a German broadcaster about Raymond McCord’s Supreme Court challenge of the UK’s vote to exit from the European Union, Jim Allister, leader of the TUV, expressed his displeasure at the court proceedings.
Mr Allister said: “The democratic decision has been taken. It’s not for individuals like Mr McCord to hold up their puny hands and try to thwart that. We should be pulling together to make a huge success of Brexit.”
Mr McCord’s son Raymond Jnr was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in 1997 and Mr McCord is taking the case because of concerns that European peace money. Which goes towards victims of the Troubles, may be discontinued.
Mr McCord told The irish News he was disgusted. “What sort of comment is that to make to a father whose son was murdered? He is making this personal. I can tell you this, he will never shake my ‘puny’ hand”
He added: “He [Mr Allister]has a negative attitude to everything. But I am still here hoping and believing that we can stop Brexit.”
Mr McCord argued that Mr Allister’s party refused to recognise the Good Friday Agreement even though it was democratically voted through.
“If you are going to talk about the democratic process then he should look at how he has behaved in the past. Jim Allister said he was not going to accept the Good Friday Agreement.”
The TUV considers the Good Friday agreement a betrayal by the British government of the unionist cause.
McCord’s legal team argued that the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 ceded control of the sovereignty of Northern Ireland to the people of Northern Ireland themselves.
Major constitutional changes such as leaving the EU could not therefore be imposed by a Westminster government, he said.
Mr McCord's legal action is being funded by Legal Aid. Mr Allister wrote to the Legal Services Commission in October asking them not to "squander any further publis money" on an appeal by Mr McCord and his team.
The UK voted overall to leave the EU, but a 56 per cent majority in Northern Ireland wanted to remain.
MCCord’s team predict that Brexit will cause constitutional upheaval and have a "catastrophic effect" on the peace process.
The Supreme Court is due to consider whether withdrawal from the EU without the consent of the Northern Ireland population impacts on those provisions.
