THE appointment of former Brexit party Euro MP Claire Fox To the House of Lords has caused widespread anger following her refusal to condemn the IRA bomb attack on Warrington.
Labour’s Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols has hit out at the appointment while Warrington South Conservative MP Andy Carter says she should apologise to the families affected.
Her nomination by the Brexit Party for a peerage has created a storm of controversy in Warrington due to her links with the Revolutionary Communist Party.
Following the IRA bomb attack in 1993 which claimed the lives of 12-year-old Tim Parry and three-year-old Johnathan Ball, the Revolutionary Communist Party’s official newsletter defended ‘the right of the Irish people to take whatever measures necessary in their struggle for freedom’.
She was also a member of the Irish Freedom Movement, which backed dissident republicanism.
Commenting on the appointment of Claire Fox to the House of Lords, Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols said: “The youngest victim of the Warrington bombings was just three years old. Claire Fox was a leading member of the Revolutionary Communist Party who defended the attack in the days after, and she has never publicly apologised.
Surely the Prime Minister must understand the hurt that giving her a seat in the House or Lords will cause to the families of those who lost their children in this heinous attack?”
In response to the appointment Warrington South MP Andy Carter said: “Claire Fox has not been appointed to the House of Lords as a Conservative peer. The process for appointment of unaffiliated peers is through the independent House of Lords Appointment Commission not the Government”.
To see Labour accusing the PM (who didn’t nominate her) of ignoring her views on the actions of the IRA In Warrington has the greatest of all ironies – they seem to have a selected memory loss! Just 6 months ago they stood alongside their leader Jeremy Corbyn, campaigning for him to be Prime Minister. Just so we’re clear that’s the same Jeremy Corbyn who has given numerous interviews in which he has been challenged to condemn the IRA’s campaign of violence unequivocally – without equating it to other parties involved in the conflict – and has declined to do so”.
“What rankles so many is Ms Fox’s refusal to acknowledge how her comments at the time caused such hurt to families in Warrington. If her views have changed she should say so, she should apologise to the families affected.“
Responding to comments posted on social media the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace tweeted: “Thank you for your comments and thoughts for Johnathan, Tim and the Warrington families as the Government makes this decision.
“We offered to talk to her she failed to engage. We have tried to engage Number 10 over six months without success. We will not comment at this stage.”
Tim’s father Colin Parry tweeted: “We all do and say things when young that we later regret. @clairefox never apologised for defending the IRA bombing of Warrington which took the life of my son Tim and Johnathan Ball. Now she is offered a Peerage. This offends me and many others deeply.”
The Bridge Street memorial
We all do and say things when young that we later regret. @clairefox never apologised for defending the IRA bombing of Warrington which took the life of my son Tim and Johnathan Ball. Now she is offered a Peerage. This offends me and many others deeply
— Colin Parry OBE (@ColinParryPeace) August 1, 2020
The youngest victim of the Warrington bombings was just 3 years old.
Claire Fox was a leading member of the RCP & has never apologised for their defence of the attacks in the days after.
Surely the PM understands the hurt giving her seat in the Lords will cause to the families?
— Charlotte Nichols (@charlotte2153) July 31, 2020
Thank you for your comments and thoughts for Johnathan, Tim and the #Warrington families as the Government makes this decision. We offered to talk to her she failed to engage. We have tried to engage Number 10 over six months without success. We will not comment at this stage. https://t.co/zuzp9d2Ghi
— Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Foundation (@peacefoundation) July 31, 2020
Claire Fox's peerage is a massive two-fingered salute from Boris Johnson to the Parrys, victims of IRA violence, and the people of Warrington.
— Carl Gardner (@carlgardner) July 31, 2020
Unbelievable that Claire Fox has bagged a peerage. What a rancid, divisive & frankly nasty person, the worst of all Brexiteers, even more disgusting than Farage.
Why is this happening? I thought the PM didn’t need the Brexit Party any more? https://t.co/vAbFONxJrR
— Ludo Tolhurst-Cleaver 🐝🔶🇪🇺 (@LudoTC) July 31, 2020
Claire Fox being given a peerage after her comments on the Warrington IRA bombings and her disturbing comments on child abuse is the lowest I've seen this government go.
Vile and unforgivable. But remember this government is "patriotic" what a complete joke.
— James 🔶 (@DaleksGamertag) July 31, 2020
I'm sure Revolutionary Communist, Libertarian and "apologist for the IRA" Claire Fox will refuse her peerage to the House Of Lords…
— 🕯James Neill – 😷 🇪🇺🇮🇪🇬🇧 (@jneill) July 31, 2020
Hi @MrAndy_Carter, do you have any comment on Boris Johnson (your party leader) nominating Claire Fox for a peerage? As a Warringtonian, I believe it is an affront to the people of Warrington, especially the families of Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball@warrsouthlabour @charlotte2153
— Tim Galsworthy (@TimGalsworthy) August 1, 2020
The irony of Claire Fox getting a peerage is that she joined a party to get elected as European representative in order to prevent 'unelected' officials from passing laws to be followed by Britain. And now she's an unelected official able to pass laws to be followed by Britons.
— Irony Man ©️ MCU (@LeftyBanker) July 31, 2020
1 Comment
Pingback: Rattled Boris Plans Desperate Attack - Labour Buzz