PUP accuses British Government of discrimination

The loyalist Progressive Unionist Party today accused the British Government of discriminating against it after being refused compensation for damage to its Shankill Road offices during the loyalist feud in Belfast last year.

The PUP said they had been told they won’t get a penny for damage caused during the feud become some of its members are former prisoners - including Northern Ireland Assembly members David Ervine and Billy Hutchinson.

The party claim to have been the innocent victims of a fight which they said was started by the Ulster Freedom Fighters whose leader Johnny Adair had his early release from the Maze Prison revoked because of his role in it.

William Smith, chairman of the PUP, said as well as the party being denied compensation, six people forced out of their homes and one man who was shot, had also been refused - because of past spells in prison.

Hundreds of people were forced to flee their homes as both sides in the dispute redrew the boundaries within the staunchly loyalist Shankill area, and the PUP expect more compensation rejections.

Mr Smith said: ‘‘We are the victims of violence, the families who lost their homes and all their possessions are victims of violence, yet they have been treated disgracefully by the Northern Ireland Office.’’

The Northern Ireland Office said they could not discuss individual cases but that the situation had been explained to the PUP.

They said that if the PUP put their case formally to Ulster Secretary John Reid it would be looked at.