Studio discussion on BBC Northern Ireland's The View between Gerry Kelly (Sinn Fein) Justin McNulty (SDLP) and Denis Bradley. Originally broadcast November 2nd 2017
I lived all through the Troubles and seen Police brutality at first hand (yes it happened) but nowadays I would have no problem with the Uniformed branch of the Police, Patten did its job, the legacy however of Political policing is that there is always that nagging doubt in the background that plain clothes still have that element of double dealing about them. Most people in West Belfast would say that they would not report a drug dealer because he may be protected by the Police, a highly unlikely scenario buts its still there.
Giving the political situation in the north of Ireland there will always be groups who themselves will never support the policy supported by Sinn Fein and the SDLP but whom themselves are dissident from mainstream republicanism. I used to be against that claim that McGuinness made "that they were traitors" once upon a time I believed the opposite, but opinions can change.
