NI Conservatives’ co-chair, Trevor Ringland, has welcomed Martin McGuinness’s decision to accept the Queen’s invitation to a state banquet at Windsor Castle, however he called upon Sinn Féin to “show some consistency, when it comes to reconciliation”.
“The Deputy First Minister is doing the right thing by attending this banquet, which marks the official visit of the President of the Republic of Ireland”, Trevor noted. “Gestures like this, and the Queen’s invitation, are needed to build a better future for Northern Ireland. However Mr McGuinness’s party show very little consistency. One moment they’re getting young people to dress up in paramilitary uniforms and brandish guns, the next they’re going to Windsor Castle.”
“While I welcome the Deputy First Minister’s decision, in this instance, I’d urge him to bring more influence to bear when it comes to genuinely moving his movement beyond wallowing in its violent past. For the future of Northern Ireland, anyone who justifies or celebrates the crimes which made a mess of our past need to be challenged. Any progress by Sinn Féin is desirable, but the party needs to show more consistency and genuinely make a constructive contribution to building a shared society.”