Unionists face trouble over Kerr funeral
Tom Elliot and party colleague Danny Kennedy, who are members of the order, face potential disciplinary proceedings from the Grand Lodge of Ireland after a lodge in the Sandy Row in Belfast made an official complaint that the pair had broken order rules by attending a church service not of the reformed faith.
PSNI officer Ronan Kerr died after dissident republicans placed a bomb under his car outside his home in Omagh in Tyrone.
A letter to the grand lodge from the Sandy Row lodge accused the two Ulster Unionists of “selling their principles for political expediency”.
The order has refused to comment on the potential disciplinary proceedings, saying it is a “private matter”.
Speaking yesterday, Mr Elliot said he had no regrets about attending the funeral and said he had simply done the “honourable thing”.
“It was the honourable thing and certainly I, and I know Danny, have no regrets over that.
“I do not believe it was any sin or crime to go to the funeral of a murdered police officer, someone who was serving this community, someone who actually served in my constituency.
“And I believe by doing that, that was showing leadership from the Ulster Unionist Party and indeed from our entire community towards the services that Ronan Kerr and others were providing to this society,” he said.
A party spokesman also defended the pair, saying the Ulster Unionists want to build a society which values respect and tolerance.
“In his role as a member of the PSNI, Ronan Kerr was playing his part in working towards that better future and sadly he lost his life in doing so,” he said.
“This was a great loss not only to his family and friends, but also to the PSNI and to the whole community that he served so well. As political leaders, it is vital that proper decisions are made for the benefit of not only a party but the wider community and society.”
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