Could the UK taxpayer end up paying millions to Gerry Adams?

The News Agents

Global

Daily News, News, Government, Politics

4.2 • 4.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2025

⏱️ 33 minutes

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Summary

At PMQs today, Kemi Badenoch accused the Government of writing "a cheque to compensate Gerry Adams”, the former leader of Sinn Féin. The Prime Minister has said he will look at "every conceivable way" to prevent such a compensation payout.

How could Labour’s plans to change legislation see Gerry Adams and other suspected IRA members receive compensation for internment during the Troubles? We speak to Alex Burghart, Shadow Northern Ireland secretary.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The Newsagents podcast is brought to you by HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity.
0:10.5	This is a global player original podcast.
0:14.1	The IRA has gone.
0:15.2	And, I mean, my position has been consistent that I was not a member of the IRA.
0:19.6	But I've never distanced myself from the IRA.
0:22.5	Were you never tempted to join? No, no, I wasn't. No. That was the voice of Jerry Adams speaking
0:29.8	about six years ago. He was the leader of Sinn Féin. He denies there that he was ever involved
0:36.0	with the IRA.
0:42.1	But as a result of a change to the law that the Labour government is making, it is possible that he may shortly be in receipt of taxpayer-funded compensation for his experiences during the troubles.
0:52.5	Yeah, in the 1970s, he was interned without trial, and he has been pursuing compensation
0:59.5	from the British government since about 2020.
1:04.3	Is it possible that this change to the law would see taxpayer-funded compensation go to Jerry Adams. Welcome to the newsagents.
1:17.9	The Newsagents. It's Lewis. It's Emily. And of course, Jerry Adams, despite his denials there,
1:25.6	many, many people believe historians, people around at the time,
1:28.6	have said that he was a very, very senior member of the IRA, responsible for the disappearing
1:36.2	of people, responsible many people would say for murder.
1:40.1	And that is why this proposed change could be so controversial.
1:45.7	Just to explain what this is about, last month, Hillary Ben, the Northern Ireland Secretary,
1:51.2	unveiled plans to change provisions in some legislation that was passed by the Tory government
1:56.7	that bars compensation payments to those who were interned without trial during the Troubles in the 1970s.
2:04.6	Intermment basically just means locked up without charge.
2:08.1	The Northern Ireland office have done this to change the Northern Ireland Troubles Act
	...

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