Ervine loyalist feud comments condemned
A senior loyalist politician was condemned tonight after he forecast the feud between the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Loyalist Volunteer Force would get worse.
The Alliance Party also hit out at the latest attack by Progressive Unionist leader David Ervine on the Independent Monitoring Commission.
East Belfast MLA Naomi Long called on the British government to take action against the party. Ms Long said: “David Ervine’s comments are surely the final straw for the UVF ceasefire.
“If they are openly and brazenly stating that that they are no longer engaged in moving away from paramilitarism and criminality and instead are intent on escalating their killing spree with the LVF, Peter Hain (Northern Ireland Secretary of State) is now under a moral obligation to declare their ceasefire to be at an end.
“If he fails to do so he jeopardises the basis of the entire political process.”
Her comments came after Mr Ervine was interviewed for BBC Radio Ulster’s Inside Politics.
Asked how much worse the loyalist feud – which has claimed two lives this month – is likely to get, the PUP leader replied: “I have absolutely no influence over what is happening on our streets at the moment. But everyone’s best assessment is that there is much more to come.”
