Sir, – In the wake of the controversy surrounding the statements from Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Karen Bradley in the House of Commons, it is important to be aware of the precise context.
These were not comments made in the heat of parliamentary debate, as has been suggested by Ms Bradley. They were contained in a formal reply to a parliamentary question from the DUP MP for Belfast South, Emma Little Pengelly, who wanted to know when mechanisms would be put in place to investigate unsolved murder cases which took place during the Troubles.
In the normal course, such replies and any supplementary questions that may arise are provided in a brief for the Secretary of State prepared by officials from the Northern Ireland Office and, in some instances, with input from Downing Street.
Judging from the nods of agreement from the DUP benches in the House of Commons and their subsequent silence, one can assume that, unlike all the political parties, North and South and in the UK, who have spoken on this issue, the DUP is fully in agreement with what, at the time, appeared to be the official line.
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In light, also, of the results of the Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI Opinion Poll of voters in Northern Ireland, one wonders just who the DUP claims to represent and when this Faustian pact with the Conservative government will come to an end. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN
McDONALD,
Terenure,
Dublin 12.
Sir, – In an attempt to dampen the controversy over her recent remarks, Karen Bradley has said that “we are all fallible”. True.
But we are not all Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. – Yours, etc,
KEVIN
DOWLING,
Kildare.
Sir, – Following Karen Bradley’s logic, the International Criminal Court in The Hague should not exist. – Yours, etc,
PAUL
O’MAHONY,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.