Dave’s dithering

On 5th September 2011, in reply to Nigel Dodds, Cameron told the House this:”There is no doubt that the Libyan provision of semtex to the IRA was immensely damaging over many years and it possibly still is today. We need to be clear that this will be an important bilateral issue between Britain and the new Libyan authorities.”
Three years later not a penny has appeared. Other Tories are not impressed.

Docklands Victims Association

If you want to see British society at its best, visit the DVA site. Two people were killed and 39 injured in this 1996 PIRA bomb which blew John Major back to the negotiating table without PIRA having to give up its weapons. Despite death, mutilation and lack of interest by successive governments, the people of DVA have reached out to others less fortunate than themselves. Impressive and humbling.

Libya’s semtex did not discriminate between white, black, Christian and Muslim.

Cameron-talking tough-doing what?

On 4 May 2014, the Sunday Telegraph reported that the Prime Minister had appointed Sir Kim Darroch: “to lead a new effort to gain compensation from Libya”. Six years after the Americans were paid. Five months on, I have heard nothing from Sir Kim. Cameron talks a good game but has delivered nothing. Many victims are in ill health and old age. Many are in dire financial straits. This compensation, which Libya has admitted is due to the victims, would transform their lives. Meanwhile, how many British firms are doing business with the Libyans? Time for action, Prime Minister.

Martin McGuinness and Barra McGrory

On 22 November 2013, the DPP, Barra McGrory, requested the PSNI to investigate alleged British Army killings, based on allegations made in a BBC Panorama documentary. On 18 May 2014 I asked the DPP to conduct a similar exercise, based on allegations made by Ed Moloney, in his book, that McGuinness had approved the murder of my parents. McGrory wrote to me on 28 May 2014, refusing to so do. He said:”I do not therefore consider that any exercise of the power bestowed on me as DPP to require an investigation is necessary in this case”. He wished me well in my quest for justice. That , as far as he was concerned , was that.  I pointed out by return that at all material times , he was McGuinness’s legal adviser. I expressed surprise that he had made the decision personally. He replied , denying that he had made “any final decision in respect of the issue”. [When is a decision not a decision?]

He then delegated responsibility for the decision to the Senior Assistant Director. Despite promises, I still await a decision.

The affair highlights two important issues.

1. The poor quality of decision making by Barra McGrory whilst acting as a law officer.

2. The contrast between the twenty four hour decision in the Army case and the five month delay in mine.

Libya

Diane Dodds, MEP, has promised me that she will :

“make every effort to ensure that the policy of the European Commission and the External Action Service… has at its core an awareness of the rights of innocent victims of Libyan funded IRA violence.”

Watch out for results soon!

Thomas Henry Sefton

On 15th October 1914 HMS Hawke was torpedoed by U9, captained by Otto Weddigen, off Aberdeen. Of her crew of 594, only four officers and 70 ratings survived.

More than twenty men from the north of  Ireland were lost, including Lieutenant Commander Ruric Waring, who was a member of the family which gave Waringstown its name. All are commemorated on panel one of the Chatham Naval Memorial.

Less than two years later , in July 1916, this loss would be eclipsed in Ireland by the carnage on the Somme.

Thomas was born on 29th April 1888 in 3 Gable St Belfast, the son of William Sefton, a serving soldier and Eliza Jane Sefton, nee Hiland. He joined the Royal Navy on 31st July 1906 , aged 18. Described as just under five feet five inches tall, with black hair and hazel eyes, he was a stoker.

He served on various ships, joining HMS Hawke on 5th August 1914. She was an elderly cruiser, part of the tenth Cruiser Squadron, attached to the Third Fleet. Being a stoker, the ship having sunk in less than ten minutes, he had no chance of survival.

Thomas was my great uncle. His father, his brother and his nephew, my father, all served the Crown with bravery and distinction.

I will remember Thomas on the one hundredth anniversary of his death “in the grey wastes”.

Libya

In 2011 the UK government froze millions of pounds worth of Libyan assets. In April of that year , the National Transitional Council, the Libyan Spring revolutionary committee, promised to pay compensation to UK citizens. The NTC did this at the height of Operation Ellamay, the Franco British action to constrain Gadafy. The operation cost the UK £212 million and put RAF lives at risk. The promised money has not been paid and the UK government refuses to release the frozen money to compensate victims of Libya’s semtex. Justice?

The Historical Enquiries Team

This branch of the PSNI has investigated over 1850 murders. It has secured two convictions. It ticks boxes and fills in the blanks in a pro forma “report” to the victims’ families . It has cost millions of pounds to achieve this result. I will soon let you have my experience of what an “enquiry” consists of. It is to be wound up. Would we notice a difference?