'Comments nauseating and inexcusable'

I find the comments of Stephen Moutray in last week’s Lurgan Mail totally nauseating and inexcusable.

To welcome a Sinn Fein councillor into Craigavon Council is in sharp contrast to his attempts at all costs to keep out a fellow unionist, and a former friend, from joining him in the Council.

Mr Moutray as leader of the DUP was prepared to bring about a by-election costing up to 30,000 for the sole purpose of stopping a replacement TUV councillor from being nominated. Yet in contrast Mr Moutray welcomes a Sinn Fein councillor with open arms and hopes he will have a “long and successful” time on the Council.

For a unionist Mayor to welcome a Sinn Fein member into the Council is highly regrettable considering that it was that Party’s policy of a United Ireland which directly or indirectly brought about the murder of thousands of innocent people including members of the RUC/Reserves, UDR, Army and Prison service etc. etc. Never mind the bomb explosions which caused millions of pounds of damage in the town which Mr Moutray now presides over.

To date there has been no expression of genuine regret or wrongdoing from Sinn Fein. In fact they continue to justify the so-called “armed struggle”. No apology has ever been offered to the unionist people for the evil actions that were perpetrated against them.

Sinn Fein continue to use all means possible to gain their goal of a United Ireland which was the reason in the first place for all the murder, mayhem and bloodshed. I do not understand why Mr Moutray felt it necessary to say “may your time be long and successful” when all that was required was simply to note the appointment.

Strange sentiments from a member of a Party which was set up to smash Sinn Fein. It just shows the extent to which the DUP has broken their promises in their new liberal mode. Let’s put it on the record that TUV is opposed to IRA/Sinn Fein getting power anywhere, whether that be in Council or as Joint First Minister at Stormont. We don’t want a terrorist-linked party about the place.

No doubt come election time DUP will be scare mongering about Sinn Fein becoming the largest party. Yet they are perfectly happy welcoming in another Sinn Fein councillor or sitting around the Executive table under a Joint First Minister.

Mr Moutray is perfectly at ease negotiating with his chum John O’Dowd on the Parades issue and then pretends to oppose Sinn Fein at election time. Has he forgotten how Orangemen have suffered at the hands of IRA/Sinn Fein?

The unionist people are not fools and these DUP words of welcome will not be forgotten. It is obviously easier for Mr Moutray to snuggle up to Sinn Fein than to take a stand for that which is right, but the unionist electorate will have the final say.