Andersontown News , September 4, 2003
The Justice for Peter McBride Campaign announced today that Kelly McBride, sister of the murdered Belfast teenager Peter McBride, would be standing as a candidate in this month's by-election in the Brent East constituency in London.:
Kelly to fight in Red Ken's old seat
Heroic decision welcomed by nationalist parties in North
Both Sinn Féin and the SDLP have weighed in behind a North Belfast woman who will fight a British by-election to expose the hypocrisy surrounding her brother’s murder by the British army 11 years ago.
Kelly McBride – the sister of murdered Belfast teenager Peter McBride – yesterday lodged her papers to stand as a candidate in the Brent East constituency.
The by-election comes after the death of Labour MP Paul Daisley.
The seat had previously been held by Labour left-winger Ken Livingstone, who resigned to run as Mayor of London, a post to which he was elected.
With a large and influential Irish population in the constituency, Kelly believes she will take some of the vote that Daisley lost when fighting the seat in 2001. Daisley was down over 7,000 votes from the Livingstone total four years earlier.
Kelly has taken the step of standing in the Westminster by-election so that she can highlight her family’s campaign to have the two soldiers who killed her brother dismissed from the British army. Although convicted of the 1992 murder the soldiers were allowed to remain in the army.
As a candidate, Kelly will be given the same air time as Labour and Conservative candidates, ensuring maximum publicity for her campaign.
Speaking to the Andersonstown News shortly after she lodged her papers at Brent East Town Hall, Kelly said she wanted the British public to know about her family’s campaign to have James Fisher and Mark Wright dismissed from the British army.
“The decision to keep the murderers in the army was taken in London so we decided to come here and let the people who live here know the full truth and the full story,” said Kelly.
The mother-of-three said she is under no illusions about winning the election.
“I just want to draw publicity to Peter’s case. I know I won’t win but I want people to know about Peter,” she said.
“If we only get five votes, then that is five more people on the case.
“East Brent has a big Irish population and we are hoping for their support. We plan to make a leaflet drop about my campaign in around 40,000 houses,” she said.
Kelly McBride’s campaign has won support from both Sinn Féin and the SDLP.
Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams called on the Irish community in Brent East and those others who are interested in human rights matters to rally round and give their support to Kelly.
“Sinn Féin supports this initiative,” said Mr Adams.
“It provides the McBride family with an opportunity to raise their demand that the two Scots Guards convicted of murdering Peter McBride should be removed from the British army.”
SDLP Justice Spokesperson Alban Maginness welcomed Kelly’s decision.
“It will do much to highlight and maintain the pressure on the British government regarding the decision to retain the two Scots Guards who murdered Peter McBride in the army,” said Mr Maginness.
"Seeing the soldiers being given early release was difficult for the McBride family, but they accepted it in the context of the peace process.
“But what they cannot accept – and should never have to accept – is that the two convicted murderers are kept on in the British army. That is a total affront to basic human rights,” he added.
• There will be a special panel discussion at the Europa Hotel tonight (Thursday) starting at 8pm on the Peter McBride case. Kelly McBride will be speaking, along with Paul O’Connor (Pat Finucane Centre), Paul Mageean (Committee on the Administration of Justice) and Roy Greenslade (media commentator). Clara Reilly from Relatives For Justice will chair the meeting, and everyone is welcome.
Journalist:Roisin Cox