Former IRA youth member elected Mayor of Derry

A Sinn Féin man who has admitted being a member of the IRA’s youth wing on Bloody Sunday has been elected as the new Mayor of Derry.

Gerry O’Hara was elected by 22 votes to five last night.

The DUP’s Jim Millar, a former police officer, was elected as his deputy, but he is refusing to speak to the Sinn Féin politician.

Mr Millar has pledged to carry out his duties, but has refused to work alongside Mr O’Hara, who said he intended to offer the hand of friendship to unionists and pointed to his past support for Ulster Scots cultural events as proof of his goodwill.

Mr Millar, however, said he would not co-operate with a member of a party that still had an active military wing, saying this was consistent with the Taoiseach’s refusal to enter into a coalition with Sinn Féin.