Almost a year after his death, the ashes of Bobby Storey continue to smoulder from his burial place in Milltown Cemetery, with no shortage of politicians eager to fan them in the hope of igniting a political crisis.
The funeral was well organised from a Provisional perspective but not so from a public health one. It seemed to breach the government guidelines which Sinn Fein had helped promulgate: “at the time, regulations only permitted up to 30 people in a cortege and at a funeral service.” It was inevitable that a cacophony of voices would ensue, some authentic, others opportunistic, calling for action against the party.
The PSNI investigated 24 Sinn Fein members over their attendance at the event. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said it would not be prosecuting anyone and then switched track, promising to review its decision. Although not too much should be read into that. It is unlikely to be the volte face many unionists hope for.
Arlene Foster immediately called for Chief Constable Simon Byrne to resign, claiming his position had become untenable as he had lost the confidence of the unionist community. He told her politely but firmly to go fuck herself. As he should.
Byrne defended both himself and his force's actions around the funeral by contending that the PSNI put Sinn Fein on notice that they would be in breach of Covid regulations if the funeral plan was to proceed as was. He further insisted that "nobody in the PSNI did a deal or looked the other way," Although the PPS rather than Byrne took the decision not to prosecute - he claimed to be surprised by it - Foster’s beef with him is that the decision of the PPS not to pursue charges was in large part shaped by the PSNI having facilitated lawbreaking through its pre-funeral discussions with Sinn Fein.
The DUP is concerned at police facilitating lawbreaking when it comes to the management of funerals but not when it is to assist homicide of the type perpetrated by the agent Stakeknife and numerous others. Carry on erasing the state tracks that lead to the deaths of many nationalists and the DUP will not say a word. Facilitate cortege, uproar. Facilitate cover-up, silence.
The DUP is concerned at police facilitating lawbreaking when it comes to the management of funerals but not when it is to assist homicide of the type perpetrated by the agent Stakeknife and numerous others. Carry on erasing the state tracks that lead to the deaths of many nationalists and the DUP will not say a word. Facilitate cortege, uproar. Facilitate cover-up, silence.
Not to be dissuaded from her Herculean hypocrisy Foster threatened that "If Simon Byrne believes that he can dig in and stay, then we will have to look at other ways to deal with these issues." As Belfast has demonstrated in recent nights, the Children of Ulster have found other ways. Gerry Kelly, while certainly politicking, is not merely talking out his jacksie when making the observation that the violence is:
an out-working of the DUP's rhetoric ... By their words and actions they have sent a very dangerous message to young people in loyalist areas.
If Byrne does dig in, he will only be taking a page out of Foster's copybook from when she dug in and refused to resign over the much more scandalous matter of RHI. Byrne’s transgressions are juvenile by comparison. Why "it cannot continue as normal" for Byrne yet it did quite easily for her is something the DUP is seriously stretched to plausibly explain.
There is a certain message being emitted for those who want to hear it. When Byrne faces down Foster with her claims that unionism has no confidence in him, he is effectively telling her that it is not the confidence of unionism that the PSNI is prioritisng, but that of nationalism. The political tide is flowing, slowly albeit, in a particular direction and it is not towards London. The need to avoid upsetting Sinn Fein is underscored by the institutional response to the Bobby Storey funeral and how it differed to that in respect of the Francie McNally funeral two months earlier, in relation to which the PPS has decided to prosecute two republicans – Frankie Quinn and Brian Arthurs. Both men, if not critics of Sinn Fein, are certainly not on board with the party’s strategy.
The 1916 Societies ask a very pertinent question:
We note with particular interest the Director of public prosecutions Stephen Herron announcement that no charges will result from a much larger funeral in Belfast attended by many politicians. We state unequivocally that we do not believe anyone should be charged or prosecuted for burying their dead with respect and dignity, however the double standards applied cannot go unchallenged, the questions must be asked.
Why was this funeral and these two Republicans in particular selected for prosecutions?Is the motivation behind these prosecutions political or in the interest of public health?
⏩Follow on Twitter @AnthonyMcIntyre.
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