I want to congratulate Eamonn Mallie for his fantastic series Eamonn Mallie Meets on Irish TV. His recent interview with veteran campaigner Eamonn McCann was particularly important. Valuable because it corrects the false narrative promoted by Sinn Féin that their armed struggle was necessary as it won civil rights for Catholics in Northern Ireland.
As Darren Litter recently wrote ‘Historical revisionism gaining worrying degree of acceptance’ (October 21), those in Sinn Féin who do this merge the SDLP and Officials into their party history. It was the SDLP and eventually the Officials who battled for rights and institutions, while Sinn Féin and the PIRA bombed, killed and ridiculed nationalists who pursued equality.
In case anyone is unsure of the argument Darren Litter and I make due to our relative youth, I give way to Eamonn McCann who experienced the key events and personalities of this era first hand.
Eamonn McCann said in his interview that he agreed with Seamus Mallon, and he said: “The reforms which emerged allegedly from the armed struggle were in place in the early 1970s, the main civil rights demands.”
He also said: “I can remember over and over again in Derry and the Bogside and Creggan IRA leaders saying we’re going to continue the armed struggle.”
Eamonn McCann explained that those who wanted compromise and a settlement at Stormont were castigated as “traitors” and “quislings”.
Too many young Catholics believe that they enjoy full equality with their Protestant neighbours thanks to the murder of Sinn Féin, when it fact it was the tenacity and sacrifice of people like Hume and Currie and Cooper and others in the SDLP who Catholics young and old need to be thankful to.
BRIAN JOHN SPENCER
Belfast BT8
Facts tell the true story of Alasdair McDonnell’s leadership
It is with a heavy heart I find myself writing this letter but in light of the report in The Irish News (November 7) I feel compelled to do so. Like many loyal supporters of the SDLP it dismays me that we find ourselves in the current dilemma of a leadership challenge as a result of the disappointing results that we have endured under the current leadership. While I must first clarify that I believe Dr McDonnell to be a thoroughly decent and well intentioned man, as a leader he has not delivered.
There are those within the party who, supportive of McDonnell, tell us that his plan is working and success will come but the facts tell us differently. In the 2010 Westminster election the SDLP secured 16.5 per cent of the vote, fast forward to 2015 we got 13.9 per cent, down 2.6 per cent. More worryingly an opinion poll just last week predicted that our vote could drop to a catastrophic 10.8 per cent in next year’s assembly’s election. What would that mean? It’s very simple – we would not have to worry about DUP/SF excluding us we will have excluded ourselves with no ministerial seats.
In last year’s local government elections Dr McDonnell set himself a target of 80 council seats – we got 66. That cannot be passed off as a success. In anyone’s book that is a disastrous failure.
Furthermore the delegate list for this year’s conference shockingly reveals a 30 per cent drop in membership, all under the leadership of Dr McDonnell. The fact is the SDLP is not renewing. Dr McDonnell’s weaknesses in representing the party externally and in the media are well known but the evidence also suggests that his self-promoted internal reforms have failed to materialise.
Loyalty is an attribute shared by most SDLP members and it is difficult to oust someone whose intentions are honourable but we have reached a point where we must take decisive action.
We can bury our heads and remain on the sinking ship holding on to the hope that the captain will be right or we can put in place someone who will inject enthusiasm and passion into our supporters again, a man who will act, not dream.
Colum Eastwood can give the voters something to get excited about again; mobilising them with promise of ending the painfully drawn out peace process and beginning the task of normalising politics in this part of Ireland so that the north of Ireland can become an asset as opposed to a liability.
The time has come, once and for all to elect a leader that can and will deliver a progressive nationalism that can deliver a proper functioning government and save us from this torturous abyss of despair.
DENISE JOHNSTON
Magherafelt Co, Derry
We will remember them
I would like to voice my annoyance at the advertisement in The Irish News (October 28) championing the sale of the poppy. In stark contrast in the same issue was the story of the exhumation of the body of Ballymurphy man Joseph Murphy. His family were finally vindicated that their father had been shot a second time inside a local barracks.
In the advert for the poppy we were treated to the spectre of two British squaddies, one attired in First World War fatigues but soldier number two was of the present day, who completed his service to his queen and country in 2011. His regiment, the Royal Artillery saw out several tours of duty in places like Ballymurphy, Whiterock etc. As a daily newspaper that undoubtedly has the largest nationalist readership I would have thought it would have been incumbent of you to have shelved this advert.
Given the ongoing rawness and hurt that still pervades these areas it is vital their story is heard and as seen in Mr Murphy’s case the truth will come out for those good, decent people so coldly cut down in a hail of bullets.
LAURENCE McDERMOTT
Belfast BT11
Anti-Sinn Fein publicity stunt
Once again a committee set up by the British government has found that the PIRA is still in existence with its army council still calling the shots, even as far as letting Sinn Féin decide how the country should be run. Some of this information was supposedly gotten from PIRA members themselves, which I think would make them touts.
The commission also stated that PIRA was involved in fuel and money laundering, smuggling and selling counterfeit cigarettes, DVDs etc and drugs.
If this is the case could the commission or the PSNI or the media please give out the number of the PIRA members who have been arrested, brought to trial, or convicted of such crimes and their position within that organisation. I think you might find the answer to be none.
So that brings me to one conclusion, it is all a publicity, anti-Sinn Féin stunt which of course will not work. They are not going away you know.
JOSEPH KENNEDY
Dunmurry, Co Antrim
Half-baked apologies
As Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been reported as saying Tony Blair is already starting to prepare the ground for the expected criticisms of the Chilcot inquiry on his decision to declare war on Iraq.
Half baked apologies like those issued by Mr Blair and others who bear responsibility for any human slaughter – legal or illegal – carries little credence by the general public.
Mr Blair has acknowledged that his actions in Iraq bore some elements of truth in the formation of the Islamic State (Isis). Ironically at the same time he tried to worm his way out of this by declaring that Isis was formed in Syria and not Iraq.
Does this he not realise that it was his actions in Iraq that were seen as a global declaration of war on all Islamic people and their Muslim faith?
HARRY STEPHENSON
Kircubbin, Co Down
