Ira Murders

EDM number 134 in 1997-98, proposed by Harry Barnes on 17/06/1997.

That this House condemns without reservation the brutal, sickening and entirely cynical IRA murders of Constables Graham and Johnston in Lurgan on 16th June as a deliberate effort to destroy efforts to reach political accommodation; endorses the view of the British Prime Minister that 'it is difficult to interpret this latest attack as anything but a signal that Sinn Fein and the IRA are not interested in peace and democracy and prefer violence'; further endorses the Irish T aoiseach, John Bruton's analysis, born of bitter experience, that 'the IRA operates in a calculated way... this is a very thoroughly organised movement. They have a political wing and a military wing and they operate to the same agenda. They always have, and to believe otherwise is a myth'; further believes that these brutal IRA murders were clearly meant to provoke Unionist outrage and sectarian polarisation in the run-up to next month's disputed parade in nearby Drumcree; urges loyalist paramilitary groups not to retaliate and for the whole community to co-operate with the RUC in finding the perpetrators of this truly evil deed; and further urges all constitutional parties in Northern Ireland, in co-operation with the British and Irish governments, to redouble their efforts to secure a fair political settlement which will help isolate republican and loyalist terrorists and must now proceed without the participation of Sinn Fein/IRA unless and until that organisation demonstrates in word and in deed that it fully accepts democratic politics.

This motion has been signed by a total of 12 MPs.