Ógra Shinn Féin comment on Tony Blair's appointment as Envoy to Middle East

Yesterday June 27th, British Prime Minister Tony Blair handed over his ten year premiership to Gordon Brown making way for him to take up a role as Peace Envoy to the Middle East.

Oisín Ó Dubhláin, Ógra Shinn Féin activist said,

"Tony Blair was a supporter and overseer of a brutal occupation of Iraq and he will not be judged favourably on this issue. Ógra Shinn Féin profoundly disagreed with his foreign policy. His new role as peace envoy to the Middle East is certainly questionable to say the least.

As young Irish republicans, while we should acknowledge the positive contribution he made to the Irish Peace Process, our job is to create the conditions in which the British sovereignty over any part of Ireland is removed and the relationship between the two islands is between two sovereign nations. We hope Gordon Brown and the new secretary of state Shaun Woodward will deal with the legacy of collusion and the will implement the outstanding issues from the Good Friday Agreement.

We in Ógra Shinn Féin sincerely hope also that the new secretary of state Shaun Woodard, a former NIO minister, shall become the last Secretary of State with jurisdiction in this part of Ireland."