Findlay criticises Swinney’s Sinn Fein meeting over IRA victims’ families
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has accused First Minister John Swinney of inappropriately engaging with Sinn Fein at a separatist summit in Cardiff last month, claiming families of IRA victims are angry about the decision. Findlay argues that Swinney should have used the opportunity to demand that Sinn Fein condemn IRA terrorism, but refused to do so, suggesting Swinney's pursuit of Scottish independence is outweighing historical sensitivities around IRA violence.
At the independence summit, Swinney sat alongside Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill and president Mary Lou McDonald, as well as Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, to advance the case for Scottish separation. Findlay stated he had spoken to multiple families of military personnel killed by IRA terrorism who found Swinney's association with Sinn Fein "inappropriate, hurtful and unsavoury". Swinney has previously faced criticism for suggesting people should "move on" from the Troubles, and has resisted calls to require Sinn Fein to explicitly denounce IRA violence.
- Families of IRA victims are furious at Swinney for meeting Sinn Fein, says opposition leader
- Swinney refused to demand Sinn Fein condemn terrorism at independence summit
- Findlay questions if independence pursuit is outweighing respect for victims
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First Minister John Swinney met with Sinn Féin leaders at a summit in Wales last month as part of efforts to advance the case for Scottish independence. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has criticised the meeting, arguing that Swinney missed an opportunity to demand that Sinn Féin condemn IRA terrorism.
Sinn Féin is an Irish republican political party with historical links to the IRA, an armed group that killed people during the conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles. Findlay claims that families of IRA victims regard Swinney's public association with Sinn Féin as hurtful and inappropriate, and argues that Swinney is allowing his pursuit of independence to outweigh historical sensitivities around the violence.
Swinney has previously suggested people should move on from the Troubles and has resisted calls to require Sinn Féin to explicitly renounce IRA violence. The dispute reflects wider political disagreement in Scotland about how leaders should engage with Irish nationalist movements given their historical association with armed violence.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The case for the meeting centres on pragmatic political engagement and moving beyond historical grievances. Sinn Féin has evolved into a democratic political party sharing Scottish independence objectives; refusing engagement because of historical IRA actions would paralyse cross-border cooperation on legitimate political goals. The Troubles, whilst causing real suffering, are historical; sustainable peace requires political actors to work together despite difficult pasts, a principle recognised in peace processes globally. Repeatedly demanding public denunciations of historical violence can become performative and counterproductive to forward-looking dialogue necessary for political progress.
The case against
Families of IRA victims have legitimate claims that political leaders should respect their suffering and acknowledge it seriously. Meeting publicly with Sinn Féin whilst declining to press them to explicitly condemn IRA violence—which caused genuine loss of life—appears to subordinate victims' dignity to political expediency and Swinney's independence agenda. The IRA's actions remain recent enough in living memory that many victims are deeply affected, and political leaders bear responsibility to acknowledge that hurt rather than suggesting people should simply move forward from genuine trauma. Swinney's reluctance to make such demands raises troubling questions about whether strategic political interests are outweighing moral clarity about past atrocities.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Families of Scots soldiers killed by the IRA are ‘furious’ at John Swinney’s talks with Sinn Fein at separatist summit, says Russell Findlay”.