Jude Collins

Saturday 2 March 2013

Nigel Lutton, his father and his Uncle Joey



I’ve just watched a News Letter  online interview   with the elusive Nigel Lutton, who is the agreed unionist candidate for Mid-Ulster. Nigel was most conspicuous by his absence (as was his chief opponent, Sinn Féin’s Francie Molloy) on the BBC’s The View earlier this week. 

I’ve written already about the fact that Nigel was selected after Sinn Féin had nominated Francie Molloy as their candidate. The prominence that was given to the fact that Nigel’s father Eric, an ex-RUC man, was shot dead by the IRA in 1979, and to the fact that Nigel’s cousin David Simpson (DUP) had used parliamentary privilege to name Francie Molloy as implicated in that killing, made it clear that Nigel’s candidature would be used as a spear to stick into Sinn Féin. There is little hope that Nigel will win the seat - it’s got a whopping Sinn Féin majority - but  the DUP hope it will do two things: (i) wound Sinn Féin via Molloy, by highlighting Nigel as a victim of republican violence; (ii) make it easier to gobble up what's left of the UUP. 

But while the world and his mother knows of David Simpson’s charge against the Sinn Féin candidate, there’s been rather less talk about Uncle Joey. Joey Lutton was a member of the UDR and was convicted of involvement in a number of atrocities as part of what was known as the Glenanne Gang. His crimes included a gun attack on Clancy’s Bar, which killed three people, and another on the Eagle Bar, which killed one person. 

Clearly Nigel isn’t responsible for what Uncle Joey got up to, but it’s interesting to note the prominence given to cousin David’s House of Commons claim against Molloy (no evidence) with the deathly silence on Uncle Joey’s actions (lots of evidence). 

Nigel says in the online interview that “It [the matter of victims] has came [sic] forward so often in this campaign” and that “every victim is the same” and that he isn’t ready to shake Francie Molloy's  hand at the electoral count on Thursday because “there’s been no apology [for killings] from republicans”.  Mmm. But Nigel,  if "every victim is the same", wouldn’t the loved ones of those killed by Uncle Joey and the Glenanne Gang be equally entitled to apology? 

Nigel wrapped up his News Letter  interview by saying “I am an ordinary person” and it’s true: in his ill-at-ease interview he looked very ordinary. But he’s not. He’s been selected as someone who will highlight the suffering of victims of the Troubles. One provision:  they must be victims of the IRA campaign. Victims of Uncle Joey and the UVF/UDA need not apply.  

12 comments:

  1. Well this is another fine mess Mike Nesbitt has got himself in to. Make no mistake about it Mike will carry the can for this. Teflon Peter Robinson will walk away from this laughing. If Mike Nesbitt is typical of what Cambridge University churns out well God help us all.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good points about Uncle Joey.Any thoughts about why Francie Molloy didn't appear on "The View"? He may just feel that he's already home and dry and doesn't need to bother.But I seem to remember that you are always decrying the lack of Republican voices on the B B C.Why look a gift horse in the mouth?No doubt Connolly House made the decision for Francie anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Agree completely with this article. Such a poor candidate on so many levels. Rodney Conor was a good candidate ticked a number of boxes and yet despite everything and the kitchen sink being thrown into his campaign the overall unionist vote FELL. Which makes you wonder why went it didnt work with a good candidate in an area with a unionist electorate of 45% why in hell would it work with a poor candidate in an area with a unionist electorate of about 30%. Mike Nesbitt is a buffoon for agreeing to this and further damages his own party the other big losers will be the SDLP who through no fault of their own will have their vote squeezed for obvious reasons

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jude
    Poor show.
    For all we know Nigel Lutton is the salt of the earth. If you have accusations to make about him and his past actions then lets have them. They would be relevant.
    Francie Molloy is standing for election so it is understandable his personal history (not his family's) should be dredged up.
    It is, I believe acceptable to examine a candidate's character by looking at their past.
    Despite your denial, the snide references to 'Uncle Joey' are clearly an attempt to taint the nephew.
    You are capable of making good argument without such tactics.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is Lutton campaigning on "Victims of Violence" or not?
      Are the comments attributed to him in his online interview accurate or not?
      If Jude Collins has made them up, then very poor show indeed, but if they are accurate then thats a very different matter.
      In any "normal" democracy these clear and obvious double standards would be highlighted from day one.
      What is it with Unionists that they just don't get the concept of hypocrisy.
      Irish Aussie

      Delete
    2. There is no problem with challenging Joey Lutton about his attitude to victims of loyalist terrorists.
      The reference to his uncle seems to me an attempt to smear him. Why mention that particular person unless to taint the nephew by association with the uncle?
      As has been pointed out,Jude does not like it when that is done to Pat Finucane,or indeed Gerry Adams or Martin.

      Delete
  5. I seem to recall you going a bit crazy when people tried exactly this kind of smear on the Finucanes.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The story is all over today's issue of the Sunday World.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good for you Jude. It's another example of unionist "forked tongue" politics.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I notice that Nigel Lutton worked for the WAVE Trauma centre for a number of years.Is this not a cross community organisation working with victims from both sides? One of whose patrons is Cardinal Sean Brady.
    He probably didn't know that.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Clearly Nigel isn’t responsible for what Uncle Joey got up to, but it’s interesting to note the prominence given to cousin David’s House of Commons claim against Molloy (no evidence) with the deathly silence on Uncle Joey’s actions (lots of evidence).

    Has this person proof that they are cousins, if not is anything they say researched. Fact: they are not Cousins

    ReplyDelete
  10. David and Nigel are not cousins

    ReplyDelete