Unionist MP tells President Connolly in Derry: 'You're in our country'

President Catherine Connolly (left) speaks with Democratic Unionist Party MP Gregory Campbell. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

DUP MP Gregory Campbell has told President Catherine Connolly “you’re in our country” and warned her against “rewriting the past” on her visit to Derry.

In a short interaction between the pair after Ms Connolly addressed the Guildhall, she said she is “here to listen” — adding “at the end of the day we’re human beings and we have to have respect”.

In her speech, the president said she is grateful to the people of Derry for showing “the path from conflict to peace”, adding that “justice is still awaited” by the survivors of families of victims of Bloody Sunday.

Referring to his attendance on Thursday evening at a debate in Dublin, the Derry MP told the President: “You’re in our country. Tonight I’m going to your country.” 

He added: “We’re not leaving the United Kingdom, not now or at anytime in the future, so I think it’s better if we try and ensure no-one rewrites the past as we all build for the future.” 

Ms Connolly said she was looking forward to visiting the Siege Museum later that day, which commemorates the 1689 Siege of Derry — when up to 30,000 Protestant people held the walled city in the face of forces from the Catholic King James II.

Mr Campbell said he wanted to “make our acquaintance to try and build on that”.

Ms Connolly replied: “We’re here to listen and to learn from each other and rewriting history would be…” when Mr Campbell interjected “a big mistake”, to which Ms Connolly agreed, saying: “In any country and in many countries they’ve rewritten history to suit a narrative.” 

Mr Campbell added: “As you said yesterday, it would be a dull day if we agreed on everything  — so there’s going to be issues where we disagree.”

Ms Connolly told Mr Campbell she grew up in a family of 14 and there were “lots of disagreements, but we had to learn to live and love, at the end of the day we’re human beings and we have to have respect, that’s very important”.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the unionist politician said he “warmly welcomed her to this part of the United Kingdom” and he “always welcomes visitors, especially visitors from other countries”.

“I was more than disappointed that in her speech there were numerous references to Derry, but not a single reference to Londonderry,” Mr Campbell said.

“That she talked about some hardships in the province that there were, for example, with Bloody Sunday, which I would expect her to do, but no reference to the fact that where she was making those comments on the west bank of the Foyle, there’s only 5% of the population that is now Unionist because they suffered hardship and intimidation and murder as well.

“So I think she got the message, and she apologised for not making the proper references, and I hope that we can build a relationship between her country and our country.” 

Asked about Ms Connolly’s repeated references to respecting all cultures on the island of Ireland made in her speech in Belfast on Wednesday, Mr Campbell said: “If she made a balanced speech yesterday, and I heard most of it and it was balanced, well, why not make a balanced speech today?

“I just hope nobody in the Department of Foreign Affairs came up with the impression ‘we’ve got to be balanced when we’re in Belfast, but see when we go to the north west, we’re playing a home game’.

“That day’s over. That day is over.

“Either we’re moving forward by agreement, which we are, then we have to reach out to each community.

“That speech didn’t and hopefully it will in the future.” Towards the end of their interaction, the DUP MP and Irish president did agree on the importance of not rewriting history and agreed to listen to the other’s perspective.

Asked if he warmed to Ms Connolly, Mr Campbell said: “I like to think that when people hear exactly what others feel and believe and speak on, that they give them respect that hopefully they deserve, and then they can move forward with mutual respect for each other’s view.” 

The president is on day two of her three-day official visit to Northern Ireland, with a number of engagements in Derry.

Ms Connolly was greeted on arrival to the Guildhall by the Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Derry Ian Crowe and Derry City Mayor Ruairi McHugh.

She also stopped to have a brief conversation in Irish with someone who had waited to see the president.