Burnside accused of ‘turning blind eye’ to loyalist gangs

The SDLP's John Dallat has accused an Ulster Unionist MP of "cheap" political point-scoring and turning "a blind eye to the loyalist gangs operating in his own back yard".

Mr Dallat made his comments in the wake of figures which were released this week revealing that, between April 1 and November 15 of this year, there had been 220 separate shooting incidents attributed to terrorist groupings in the Province.

Responding to the figures, which were released by Security Minister Jane Kennedy at Northern Ireland question time in the Commons on Tuesday, Ulster Unionist MP for South Antrim David Burnside called for a "crackdown" on all forms of paramilitary activity.

Mr Burnside said: "These figures clearly demonstrate that the level of violence in Northern Ireland is still at an extremely high level.

"Sinn Féin politicians believe that they should be back in the government of Northern Ireland yet, as these figures clearly demonstrate, their friends in the IRA are still shooting people a regular basis.

"It is time for the Government to wake up to what is really happening on the streets of Northern Ireland and to deal with it by way of tough action."

However, the SDLP's East Londonderry assembly member said he was "surprised" that Mr Burnside had "little to say about 146 loyalist attacks" which occurred during this period.

He added: "David Burnside… continuously turns a blind eye to the loyalist gangs operating in his own South Antrim back yard.

"What he needs to realise is that all paramilitary activity on both sides is repulsive and morally wrong and by trying to score cheap political points on the violence of one side he is abdicating his responsibility to all of his constituents.

"The dust still hasn't settled from the heels of his party colleagues who went to South Africa hand-in-hand with the political representatives of loyalist terror groups to conjure up a united front.

"When it comes to hunting with the hounds and running with the hares, Mr Burnside doesn't need to look any further than his own party."

(GMcG)