O’Neill Questions Johnson on implementation of legacy agreements.
Sinn Féin Leas Uachtaran Michelle O’Neill MLA has challenged British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to outline what steps he and his government are taking to implement agreements made on dealing with the legacy of the past.
Michelle O’Neill said: “In the Stormont House Agreement political parties and the two governments agreed measures to deal with the legacy of the past.
“Having received broad support from the political parties, and both governments, and endorsed publicly through the recent NIO Legacy Consultation, there is now an expressed wish for full implementation of the Stormont House Agreement in a human rights compliant manner.
“To date, the British government has failed to deliver on this by refusing to fully implement that agreement.
“Recent comments from Boris Johnson around investigations into the activities of current or former British state forces have caused great hurt to those bereaved by state violence.
“I have now written to Boris Johnson calling for the implementation in full of the Stormont House Agreement as a matter of urgency and making it clear that there can be no statute of limitation or amnesty for British state forces. No one can be above the law.
“I also reiterated to him that political partisan attempts to change the definition of a victim represent a full-frontal assault on the Stormont House Agreement and present a genuine risk to any meaningful prospect of dealing with the past.
“In order to help those struggling with the legacy of the conflict, I also have made it clear once again to the British prime minister that a pension for all those seriously injured should be provided immediately and which contributes to healing all the wounds of the past.
“A collective focus on healing the wounds of the past is required and now is the time for action from the British government to make it happen,” added Michelle O’Neill.
