Farry says we need to prioritise needs of victims

Dr Farry was speaking after Mr McElduff resigned as West Tyrone MP, following a social media video of him posing with a Kingsmill loaf on his head on the anniversary of the massacre of the same name. It will now trigger a by-election in the constituency.

“The most important thing throughout this entire sorry episode has been the thoughts and feelings of victims and survivors. It should remind us of the suffering experienced by them and their needs. There must be a robust and effective means of dealing with the past created so those most directly affected by our past can have their requirements addressed.

“The hurt and pain caused by Barry McElduff was compounded by the lack of an explanation as to his intent behind the video, a clarification we are still without.

“Any by-election in West Tyrone should not be allowed to deflect from the importance of getting all-party talks re-established immediately. Only by dealing with the issues on the table with integrity will we be able to find a way to peacefully co-exist, without having the past continually raked up for cheap point-scoring exercises.”