UUP leader defiant in face of Orange Order anger over PC’s funeral

ULSTER Unionist Party leader Tom Elliott has insisted he has no regrets about attending the funeral of police constable Ronan Kerr.

He and UUP colleague Danny Kennedy are facing disciplinary proceedings by the Orange Order for attending the funeral of the Catholic officer who was killed by a car bomb outside his Omagh home in April.

Mr Elliott said going to the funeral was “right for the entire society of Northern Ireland and, maybe more importantly, right for the Kerr family”.

He went on: “We did what we believed was the honourable thing and certainly I, and I know Danny, has no regrets over that.

“Danny Kennedy and I are leaders in society – what we want to do is ensure we move Northern Ireland forward.

“I do not believe it was any sin or crime to go to the funeral of a murdered police officer.”

Mr Elliott and Mr Kennedy are in the Orange Order, which bans members from attending Catholic services. Members of a lodge in south Belfast complained about them attending the funeral, saying they had “sold their principles for political expediency”.

Mr Elliott said he found it surprising Orange Order members were creating more unpleasantness for Mr Kerr’s family. “The Kerr family I have a lot of sympathy for at this particular time, because I’m sure it’s re-traumatising them as a family,” he said.

Former senior Orangeman the Rev Brian Kennaway said the disciplinary action was “an embarrassment” for the order.

“Multitudes of Orangemen through Ireland either attend marriage ceremonies or funerals. They see it as paying their respects and as their duty,” he said.

“The vast majority of people, including the leadership, are embarrassed by this.”

Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly said the Orange Order had “shown its true colours”.

“By having these anti-Catholic rules, the Orange Order is showing that it is clearly a sectarian organisation,” he said.

“Attempts by the Orange Order to rebrand itself as a cultural organisation are completely discredited while they retain sectarian rules.”

Mr Elliott and Mr Kennedy also attended the funeral of policeman Stephen Carroll, who was shot in 2009 by the Continuity IRA. His widow, Kate, said: “It was groundbreaking. I was delighted to see that people as prominent as them were there to show solidarity with police.”