Alliance Councillor Michael Long has expressed disappointment after the Secretary of State declined calls for an independent review into the deaths of 12 people in the 1978 La Mon Hotel bombing.
In registering his disappointment, the local Councillor joins his Party colleague Trevor Lunn MLA who also expressed regret over the Secretary of State’s decision to rule out a review into the 11 people who died in Ballymurphy in 1971.
Councillor Michael Long – who was a member of La Mon Committee on Castlereagh Council for several years – said: “I am disappointed a formal independent review has been ruled out, leaving the families unsure if they will ever see justice for the death of their loved ones.
“This is obviously a very upsetting development for the families and I hope the Secretary of State will reconsider.
“As we seek to build a new, shared Northern Ireland it is essential we find a comprehensive mechanism to deal with the past.”