The DUP has been accused of electioneering before May’s council elections after proposing a UDR commemoration at Belfast City Hall.
There were sharp exchanges between elected representatives this week at the Belfast City Council Standards and Business Committee meeting after the DUP forwarded a motion about the 50th anniversary of the Greenfinches in Northern Ireland.
The motion, forwarded by Councillor Sarah Bunting, states that the council “recognises the 50th Anniversary of Greenfinches in Northern Ireland, (and) remembers that on July 6th 1973 the Ulster Defence Regiment Bill permitted the recruitment of women into the Ulster Defence Regiment”.
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It adds: “Women were given the codeword 'Greenfinch' and defended Northern Ireland throughout the period known as The Troubles. We are forever grateful for their commitment and sacrifice.”
Sinn Féin proposed that the motion be rejected, and DUP Councillor Tracy Kelly forwarded an amendment to this, proposing the motion goes to the full council for debate. On a recorded vote, nine councillors supported the DUP amendment, from the DUP, Alliance, the UUP and the Green Party, while nine councillors objected to the DUP amendment, from Sinn Féin, the SDLP, and People Before Profit.
In a split chamber the Chairperson has the deciding vote - in this case Alliance Councillor Eric Hanvey went with his party and supported the DUP amendment. The original DUP motion will now go to the April full council meeting for debate.
Sinn Féin Councillor Joe Duffy told the committee: “There is nothing to celebrate in a regiment so discredited the British government had it disbanded. It is a matter of historical fact that members of the UDR were directly involved in sectarian killings, including the passing on of information about nationalists and republicans to loyalist gangs.
“Multiple reports, including reports from British state agencies exposed damning levels of criminality within, and cited the UDR as a chief source of loyalist weaponry. Many members of the UDR were also members of the UVF, UDA and other loyalist paramilitary organisations.
“UDR check-points had terrifying consequences for people stopped by them. The Miami Showband massacre in 1975 happened after the band was stopped by a UDR roadblock, and the murder of GAA fans such as Colm McCartney and Sean Farmer in August that year as they returned from a match at Croke Park are among the litany of sectarian violence attributed to this British Army regiment.
“Maybe we should be focusing our efforts tonight on making clear our opposition to attempts by the British government to legislate in Westminster, giving an amnesty to British state forces who killed Irish citizens here. That’s what the Legacy Bill will do, it will protect British soldiers and others connected to the state involvement in brutal murders.”
People Before Profit Councillor Fiona Ferguson said: “I fear this is electioneering on the part of the DUP. To have a motion like this, with a fairly divisive issue - I find it hypocritical of the DUP levelling to other parties about raising issues that are not relevant to the council’s business.”
DUP Councillor Tracy Kelly said: “I am not surprised at some of the comments, but I am certainly not electioneering - it is 50 years that we are celebrating women in the army. We thought it would be nice to have that acknowledged.
“To talk about the British Army in the way they have, when we know others in this country bombed, maimed and shot a lot of innocent people - and they are commemorated all the time. I am disappointed but not surprised. I would like to see this adopted tonight, but if not then debated at the full council.”
She added: “This motion has been brought to other councils in Northern Ireland, where Sinn Féin did not have a problem with it.”
DUP Alderman Tom Haire said: “There were four Greenfinches murdered at the hands of terrorists during the course of their duties, and these ladies gave tremendous service to the city of Belfast.”
SDLP Councillor Donal Lyons said: “I don’t see us supporting the motion in its current form. We’ve had a very long and in-depth conversation about how we acknowledge and remember the past in a fair and ethical way. In failing a broader remembrance of the Troubles we are now looking at individual groups.”
Alliance Councillor Michael Long said: “This is likely to end up in a divisive debate, and it is disappointing it usually does when looking at the past in our city. There were obviously issues with the UDR, and there were those as outlined who did not serve with honour.
“But there were many who did serve with honour, and did serve the people of Northern Ireland. Our view is that we would be happy to vote in favour of the motion tonight, and if it needs to be voted on in full council we can do it there.”
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