Letters for fugitive republicans vital to peace, says Blair

Former British prime minister Tony Blair has said the peace process in the North would probably have collapsed without the “on the runs” (OTR) scheme for fugitive IRA members.

His Labour administration sent about 200 letters to republicans assuring them they were not being pursued by the UK authorities following requests from Sinn Féin.

A probe was launched by British MPs when the prosecution of a man for the murder of four soldiers in a bombing in Hyde Park in 1982 was halted after he received one of the letters in error.