McBride sister to stand in election

Kelly McBride will stand in the Brent East parliamentary by-election

The sister of a Belfast teenager shot dead by two soldiers is to stand in a London by-election to raise the profile of the family's campaign to have them dismissed from the Army.

Scots Guards Mark Wright and James Fisher were convicted of the 1992 murder of 18-year-old Peter McBride, but were allowed to stay in the military.

Mr McBride was shot after being stopped and searched by the soldiers while they were on patrol near his home in the New Lodge area of north Belfast on 4 September, 1992.

The pair were sentenced to life for murder in 1995, but three years later were released from prison and allowed to rejoin their regiment.

His sister Kelly is to stand in the Brent East parliamentary by-election in an attempt to raise publicity for the family's campaign.

Miss McBride said on Wednesday she aimed to bring her argument "right to the heart of the political debate in Britain".

I don't expect to win this election, but by standing I hope to win justice Kelly McBride

In a message to the Brent East electorate, she said: "I know little of the day-to-day problems you face. I don't expect to win this election, but by standing I hope to win justice.

"If a major can be expelled for cheating on a game show, why should convicted murderers be kept in the army and even promoted?"

Anniversary

The murdered teenager's mother Jean said on Wednesday that although she would rather keep out of the public eye, she felt it was the only way for her family to achieve justice.

She said she had hoped to be allowed to prepare for coping with the 11th anniversary of her son's death on Thursday.

"Instead, all these other things flood my mind because I haven't got the justice I want," she said.

The Brent East by-election follows the death of Labour MP Paul Daisley from cancer at the age of 45 earlier this year.

In another development, Belfast's Lord Mayor has stood by his decision to ban NIO minister John Spellar from his parlour despite a motion passed by the city council condemning him.

Wright and Fisher were both convicted of murder

SDLP mayor Martin Morgan took the move in protest at Social Development Minister Mr Spellar, who had sat on an Army board which made the decision to retain the guardsmen.

On Tuesday night at Belfast City Council, a Democratic Unionist Party motion condemning Mr Morgan for banning Mr Spellar from his parlour was passed by 24 votes to 16 votes.

Mr Morgan was also urged to rethink his decision.

DUP councillor Sammy Wilson and his colleagues tabled the motion because they said they believed the boycott was against the interests of Belfast.

They also condemned the mayor for adopting "a narrow sectarian policy".

Mr Morgan said he had announced the boycott because of the "deep hurt and grievance" suffered by Mr McBride's family.

Not only had they lost their son, he said, but they had had to "endure the pain of seeing his killers reinstated in the Army".

He said that suggested to the McBride family and nationalists that in the eyes of the Army the guardsmen had done nothing wrong.

The Lord Mayor added: "I am keeping my position under constant review in relation to Mr Spellar in light of the views of the McBride family and any action which might be taken to alleviate the injustice they have suffered."

Trial

At their trial, guardsmen Wright and Fisher said they believed Mr McBride was carrying a bomb.

But the judge, Lord Justice Kelly, found they were lying as they had already stopped and searched him.

The pair were jailed in 1995 for life for his murder but were released three years later and were allowed to rejoin their regiment.

In June, the Court of Appeal in Belfast ruled that the soldiers should not have been allowed back but stopped short of ordering the Army to dismiss them.

Other candidates in the by-election are: Robert Evans (Labour), Uma Fernandes (Conservative), Sarah Teather (Liberal Democrat), Noel Lynch (Green), Winston McKenzie (Independent), Neil Walsh (Independent), Harold Immanuel (Independent Labour), Alan Howling Lord Hope (Monster Raving Loony Party), Jiten Bardwaj (No description), Khidori Fawzi Ibrahim (Public Services Not War), Brian Butterworth (Socialist Alliance), Iris Cremer (Socialist Labour Party), Brian Hall (UK Independence Party), Rainbow George Weiss (WWW.XAT.ORG), Aaron Barschack (No description)