John McDonnell has a plaque commemorating IRA killers who died on prison hunger strike hanging in his study at home
Shadow Chancellor has memorial to 'H-Block Martyrs 1981' although many of whom were convicted of bombings, shooting police officers and terrorism during the Troubles
SHADOW Chancellor John McDonnell has a plaque commemorating IRA killers who died during a prison hunger strike hanging in his study at home.
Jeremy Corbyn’s right-hand man was given the memorial to the “H-Block Martyrs 1981”, in reference to the 10 inmates who starved themselves over conditions in jail, by a convicted terrorist.
They were all members of the IRA or another republican paramilitary organisation the Irish National Liberation Army, with many of them convicted of bombings, shootings and terror offences during the Troubles.
One of those lionised in the shrine is triple murderer Francis Hughes, who was once named the most wanted man in Northern Ireland after killing two police officers, and was sentenced to 83 years in jail.
Mr McDonnell has previously had to apologise for warm words towards the IRA, once speaking at an event to commemorate Bobby Sands, the leader of the hunger strikers, and saying terrorists from the group should be “honoured”.
And he was pilloried for suggesting it was the IRA – culpable for decades of reprehensible violence and bombings across the UK – were responsible for the peace process.
The Labour MP said in 2003: “It was the bombs and bullets and sacrifice made by the likes of Bobby Sands that brought Britain to the negotiating table.
"The peace we have now is due to the action of the IRA.”
After being criticised for the comment he defended them to The Sun, saying it was: “Because of the bravery of the IRA and people like Bobby Sands we now have a peace process.”
But last year he was forced to say sorry for the comments, saying: "I apologise for those words, but I also said no cause is worth an innocent life and I made that explicitly clear.
Who were the ‘H-Block Martyrs’ and what was the 1981 IRA hunger strike?
During the Troubles, a number of Irish republican prisoners at the Maze Prison – known as H-Block – went on hunger strike in 1981, writes Brad Harper:
- The strike was in reaction to the British government deciding in 1976 that newly-convicted prisoners would not be awarded Special Category Status for Troubles-related offences
- A five-year protest began when IRA prisoners started the so-called "blanket protest", meaning they refused to wear prison clothing, instead wrapping themselves in blankets
- In 1978 it was extended and prisoners refused to wash or slop out – manually emptying cell toilets
- The British government then extended the removal of Special Category Status for Troubles-related offences to all paramilitary prisoners
- To pressure the then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the first hunger strike began on 27 October 1980, lasting for 53 days before being called off
- As the prisoners’ demands were not met, a second hunger strike began on March 1, 1981 when ringleader Bobby Sands refused food – with others joining the hunger strike one-by-one
- Bobby Sands generated huge media attention during the strike when he was successfully elected as an MP on April 9 as an "Anti H-Block" candidate
- But he never took his seat in Parliament as 66 days into his strike Bobby Sands died in the prison hospital, and his death was met with riots in Northern Ireland
- Until the protest was called off on October 3, 1981, 9 other prisoners starved to death. The ten IRA and INLA prisoners were named the H-Block Martyrs
“I also did everything I possibly could to secure the peace process in Northern Ireland and at times that was contentious, of course.”
Today the revealed “among old copies of Hansard and files labelled ‘human rights’ and ‘groceries adjudicator bill’, there is still a plaque dedicated to ‘H-Block Martyrs 1981’.”
It was presented to him at a Sinn Fein fundraising dinner by Gerry Kelly, an IRA terrorist convicted of the Old Bailey bombing which killed one and injured almost 200.
It was given for the “unfailing political and personal support he has given to the republican community in the Six Counties over many years.”
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Asked about it Mr McDonnell denied he resisted the peace process: “I’ve always honestly and openly said I believe in a united Ireland, but the point was to try and get to a united Ireland without the violence.”
In response to the story a spokesman for the Shadow Chancellor said: "This was a gift to John for his work in promoting peaceful protests aimed at bringing both sides together during the troubles.
“It merely commemorates the peaceful protest in prison, not the prior actions of those involved."