Unionisti furenti per foto di McGuinness armato

Unionist anger over McGuinness gun photo

UNIONISTS have condemned a picture of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness holding a handgun.

The photo, supposedly taken in 1972, which has now emerged shows the Sinn Fein man aiming a Luger pistol.

Mr McGuinness has admitted to being previously a member of the IRA.

While Sinn Fein have played down the photograph, TUV leader Jim Allister has called for a police investigation.

The former MEP has written to PSNI chief constable Sir Hugh Orde.

Mr Allister said: “Nowhere else in the United Kingdom could one serve in ministerial office when a photograph such as this was in the public domain. It is yet another reminder that justice has been dispensed with in Northern Ireland.

“McGuinness’s threatening pose is much more than just a show for the cameras. People were being slaughtered by the Provisionals around the time when this photo was taken.

“Was the gun which appears in this photo used in any of those attacks? Indeed I would challenge Joint First Minister McGuinness to clarify when he employed this or any other guns during the IRA’s campaign.”

The TUV leader added: “How could anyone contemplate devolving policing and justice powers to an executive jointly headed by such an individual? In the photo McGuinness has his finger on the trigger. This is the same trigger finger which will be going, line by line, through every policing and justice paper which comes before the Executive.”

The DUP have also reportedly called for an investigation by the police.