A Sinn Fein MP who caused outrage by posing with a Kingsmill-branded loaf on his head on the anniversary of the Kingsmill massacre has resigned.
Abstentionst West Tyrone MP Barry McElduff, who had already been suspended by his party for three months, said staying in the job would have impeded efforts to forge reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
Mr McElduff reiterated his insistence that he had not meant the video as a reference to the sectarian murders of 10 protestant workmen by republican paramilitaries near the south Armagh village of Kingsmill in 1976.
“It is with great sadness that, after more than 30 years as an active Sinn Fein member and public representative I am tendering my resignation as MP for West Tyrone,” he said
“The reason I am doing so is because of the consequences of the Twitter video which has caused such controversy over the last week.”
He said his greatest regret was the “deep and unnecessary hurt” his video had caused the Kingsmill families.
“I again offer my profound apology to those families and to the wider victims community,” he added.
(PA Graphics)
The sole survivor of the attack, Alan Black, welcomed the resignation.
Mr Black told the Press Association: “This past week has been truly awful for me. I am just hanging by a thread. But I am glad he has done the right thing.”
Mr Black said the fall-out from the Twitter video forced him to re-live the trauma of the attack in which he was shot 18 times.
“I am going to have to take time now to heal,” he said. “I only got involved because of the hurt and disrespect shown to my friends who died at Kingsmill but this whole thing has taken a heavy toll.”
Sinn Fein has faced intense criticism on both sides of the Irish border over the video furore.
The episode further disrupted efforts to restore the powersharing institutions at Stormont. West Tyrone is a very safe Sinn Fein seat and the party will likely hold on to it in a future by-election.
In the short video, Mr McElduff, who is known for his light-hearted social media contributions, was filmed walking around a shop with a Kingsmill loaf on his head, asking where the store kept the bread.
It was posted on the 42nd anniversary of the Kingsmill outrage on January 5.
Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill and colleagues outside party offices in west Belfast (David Young/PA)
Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill said Mr McElduff had resigned because of the “unintended hurt” he had caused.
“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,” said Mrs O’Neill.
“He has said that he does not want to be a barrier to reconciliation and I respect that decision.”
The extent of Mr McElduff’s original punishment by Sinn Fein – a three-month suspension while still being paid – was widely criticised by unionists.
He resigned hours after Mr Black gave a powerful interview on RTE radio in which he accused the MP of celebrating the Kingsmill deaths.
The politician said he realised many people did not believe his explanation for the video.
“Had I been conscious of the connection to the terrible atrocity at Kingsmill I would certainly not have posted that tweet,” said Mr McElduff.
“I genuinely did not make that connection, not for a second did I make that connection in my mind.
“Kingsmill was wrong, unjustifiable and sectarian. It should never have happened.”