SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP has criticised British Government Ministers after changes to legacy proposals were outlined at the opening of a new parliamentary term with no detail or clarity on what is contained within the draft legislation.

Mr Eastwood said that the Northern Ireland Office should have learned its lesson after previous proposals met strong resistance from all parties but has instead revised its plans without consulting local political leaders.

Colum Eastwood MP said:

“This British Government never learns. Instead of working with local political parties to reach a consensus on dealing with the past, difficult as that may be, they continue to go it alone and have produced proposals that have failed to generate support from a single political leader in Northern Ireland.

“Now we learn, in a companion document to a Queen’s Speech, that there will be changes to the flawed proposals for a general amnesty but have no details on how any new process would work. We also have little clarity on plans for legacy inquests and civil cases currently before the courts. This is another mess.

“There is no one who has faith in this government to do the right thing by victims, survivors and their families. The failure to engage with parties on these important issues is another sign of the dismissive arrogance that the British Government approaches this place with.”