"This wasn't just unionists speaking out... this wasn't going to go away..." @AllisonMorris1 on @barrymcelduff's resignation

Barry McElduff has resigned. In a statement released at 10am the Sinn Fein MP for West Tyrone said reason he was stepping aside was the recent Kingsmills controversy he was involved in. He goes on to say -

"Kingsmill was wrong, unjustifiable and sectarian. It should never have happened.  There was no intended reference to Kingsmill in my tweet.  

But I do accept that there are many people who do not believe this to be the case.   I accept also that this view of what happened is deeply damaging to the reconciliation process that is so important to consolidating the peace process and to healing the pain and hurt of the past. 

I cannot undo the pain caused but I know that my continuing role as MP for West Tyrone will compound that sense of hurt and impede any reconciliation process." 

Sinn Fein northern leader Michelle O'neill said , "Yesterday evening, Barry McElduff informed me of his intention to resign as Sinn Féin MP for West Tyrone.  Barry is doing so as a consequence of the unintended hurt caused to the Kingsmill victims and their loved ones by his recent social media tweet. 

Barry recognises that this controversy and his continuing role in public office is compounding the distress to the victims of Kingsmill, and again offers his profound apology to those families and to the wider victims community. He has said that he does not want to be a barrier to reconciliation and I respect that decision."