Murder was always wrong

Carla Lockhart MP • August 16, 2022

DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has submitted a complaint to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner relating to Sinn Fein MPs glorifying an IRA terrorist.

Dear Commissioner

I would request that you carry out an investigation into the Member of Parliament for Mid Ulster, Mr Francie Molloy in relation to a social media post on 8^th August 2022 glorifying the actions of IRA terrorist Thomas McElwee.

You may be aware that in 1976, Mr McElwee was part of an IRA gang which took part in a firebombing attack on shops in the town of Ballymena. One of the firebombs destroyed a clothes shwhere a 26 year old mother of three, Yvonne Dunlop was working. She spotted the device and managed to ensure her nine year old son escaped, but she was burned to death in the attack.

Paragraph 17 of the Members Code of Conduct states that “Members shall never undertake any action which would cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, or of its Members generally”.

It would be unthinkable for a Member of Parliament from any party other than Mr Molloy’s to post a tweet paying tribute to someone like Thomas McElwee. Were any other Member to glorify such an individual or their actions they would undoubtedly be viewed as having brought parliament into disrepute. This should be no different just because the Member in question happens to be a Sinn Fein MP.

There is also a significant question as to whether posts such as that from Mr Molloy fit with a Member’s duty to base their conduct on a consideration of the public interest. For a Member of Parliament to eulogise someone involved in serious crime not only causes general upset to the public, but it has a particularly traumatising impact on victims who suffered at the hands of Mr McElwee and his colleagues. The impact upon victims has been pointed out repeatedly and Mr Molloy posted his tweet in the full knowledge that it would cause such distress.

The fact that Sinn Fein MPs may have engaged in such glorification of terrorism in the past, indeed on repeated occasions does not count as mitigation, but instead should be considered as repeated and deliberate breaches of the code. Whilst action was not taken in those cases, that doesn’t preclude a ruling now on Mr Molloy’s latest breach.

I look forward to hearing from you in relation to this issue.

Regards,

Carla Lockhart MP

Upper Bann

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Lockhart tables Early Day Motion to challenge damaging EU red tape on NI machinery trade

By Carla Lockhart MP • June 26, 2025

Upper Bann MP and DUP Westminster Agriculture Spokesperson Carla Lockhart has tabled an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons opposing the enforcement of burdensome EU regulations on the movement of used agricultural and forestry machinery from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

USED AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY EQUIPMENT SUBJECT TO EU RULES WHEN COMING FROM GB TO NI

By Carla Lockhart MP • June 25, 2025

Upper Bann MP and DUP Agriculture Spokesperson Carla Lockhart has strongly condemned the Government’s decision to impose “unnecessary, disruptive, and costly” EU requirements on the movement of used agricultural and forestry machinery from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

MP outlines industry concerns at Defend Our Farms meeting

By Carla Lockhart MP • June 25, 2025

Industry issues including NAP, bovine TB, inheritance tax and climate change were top of the agenda for MP Carla Lockhart, when she addressed this week’s ‘Defend Our Farms’ meeting in Fivemiletown.

Carla Lockhart calls out ‘climate extremism’ in wake of A5 ruling

By Carla Lockhart MP • June 25, 2025

Following the recent court ruling on the A5 road upgrade, Carla Lockhart MP has expressed serious concerns about the growing influence of radical green ideology on infrastructure development in Northern Ireland.