The mirror, not a source i often use but the lefties here revere it. An interesting read.
In 2003 DURING the peace process (which he voted against!) he praised IRA "casualties" and bobby sands. DURING the peace process!
McDonnell was speaking on May 30, 2003, many years after peace began. The Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998 and the IRA had started decommissioning weapons in 2001.
In 2002 power-sharing, which had been going well, was suspended after a police raid on Sinn Fein’s offices, which made the unionists think they couldn’t be trusted.
In April 2003, a blueprint was finally agreed on the way forward and on May 1 Blair suspended elections, until the IRA produced statements promising its peaceful intent, which it did.
Less than a month later, when peace was shaky but was going to get back on track, McDonnell decided to say bombs worked better.
He chose to say it not once, but twice.
Those are not the actions of a peacenik.
Thankfully, and contrary to his own sense of self-importance, he had so little impact on the peace process that it carried on despite his stupidity.
#Principled
