Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly has said multiple narratives of the conflict must be respected and heard. 

The north Belfast MLA was speaking after the British government announced plans to write its own ‘history’ of the conflict. 

Gerry Kelly said: 

“It is important to remember that history is subjective and there are multiple narratives of the past, they all must be respected.  

“As protagonists of the conflict the British government shouldn’t be defining, outlining or articulating the narrative of the conflict.

“The mechanisms agreed at Stormont House by the main political parties and both governments included an Oral History Archive ‘to provide a central place to share experiences and narratives related to the Troubles’. 

“It is important that the Stormont House legacy mechanisms are implemented in a human rights compliant manner, to ensure full independence and transparency in the establishment and operation of all the mechanisms.

“This should allow all key stakeholders and individual citizens to partake in them, thus laying the groundwork for a genuine process of reconciliation to develop.”