Prime Minister makes formal House of Commons apology over Ballymurphy

By PA

Boris Johnson has made a formal House of Commons apology to the families of the Ballymurphy victims.

Opening Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson read out the names of the victims killed in west Belfast 50 years ago in shootings involving British soldiers.

The Prime Minister told MPs: “On behalf of successive governments, and to put on the record in this House, I’d like to say sorry to their families for how the investigations were handled, for the pain they’ve endured since their campaign began almost five decades ago.”

Boris Johnson has made a formal House of Commons apology to the families of the Ballymurphy victims.https://t.co/K2qYGVC5iQ

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) May 19, 2021

The apology comes after a coroner found the 10 people who died in August 1971 were “entirely innocent”.

The Army was found to be responsible for nine of the 10 deaths, which included a mother-of-eight and a Catholic priest.

(Ballymurphy families celebrated the verdicts in a cavalcade of cars through west Belfast)

Last week the families of those killed in Ballymurphy celebrated the coroner's findings.

But in the wake of the findings the relatives hit out at Boris Johnson's reaction to the verdict, after receiving a letter of apology from Boris Johnson expressing his personal sorrow for the “terrible hurt that has been caused” by their loved one's deaths. 

At an emotional press conference in Belfast last Thursday, relatives of those who died said the timing and the content of the letter was “disgraceful” and challenged the Prime Minister to come to the House of Commons and “speak to the world” about what happened in Ballymurphy.

The letter from Boris Johnson was received by the families just before Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told the House of Commons that the Government was “truly sorry” for the killings.

The letter stated: “I unequivocally accept the findings of the coroner.

“Those who died over that terrible period were innocent of any wrongdoing.

“The events at Ballymurphy should never have happened.

“You should never have had to experience such grief at the loss of your loved ones and such distress in your subsequent quest for truth.”

He continued: “The duty of the State is to hold itself to the highest standard and that requires us to recognise the hurt and agony caused when we fall short of those standards.

“For what happened on those terrible few days in Ballymurphy, and for what the families have gone through since you began your brave and dignified campaign almost five decades ago, I am truly sorry.

“I recognise that no words of apology can make up for the lasting pain that you have endured.

“Thank you for the dignity and strength you have shown.”

But the families rejected the letter and repeated their call for a full investigation into the 10 deaths.

John Teggart, whose father Danny was shot by a soldier, said the main emotion from the families was anger.

(The families rejected a letter from the Prime Minister last week)

He said: “There is no mention of a massacre, there is no mention of the Paras.

“If this was to be done right he would have sat back, took his time, consulted with the families before he put that out.

“The manner in which he has done it is totally unacceptable to the families.”

He added: “Our loved ones were murdered by the State.

(Last week the findings of an inquest into the deaths of the 10 people killed in Ballymurphy ruled they were all innocent victims)