Ulster Unionist Leader Tom Elliott commented on today’s sentencing of the two men, Gary Dobson and David Norris, found guilty of the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA said;

‘The tragic murder of  Stephen Lawrence occurred in April 1993 and it has taken until today for the family to get the justice which they deserved. This time period of 18 years is a significant length of time to wait and it must be said that the Lawrence family have remained dignified throughout. The sentences of 15 and 14 years are reflective of the fact that the offence was committed in 1993, before the current guidelines were drafted which suggest a 30 year minimum for racially aggravated murders, and when the defendants were still juveniles. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has also stated that they will continue in their investigation of this case and I sincerely hope that others involved in this murder are brought to justice.

The murder of Stephen Lawrence was one which was motivated by racism. Along with sectarianism, racism is a problem which we in Northern Ireland still need to tackle effectively. PSNI figures show that hate crime in the particular areas of racism and sectarianism is falling in Northern Ireland but we must continue to work to ensure that this trend continues and this type of crime is eradicated as far as practically possible. The Ulster Unionist Party believe that an effective Cohesion, Sharing and Integration Strategy should be the driving force behind this aim. This long term Strategy should deal mainly with sectarianism and racism and it must put in place robust targets and objectives to deal with issues such as shared housing and education. The end result is the promotion of tolerance and a more inclusive society.

Recently, we have heard a lot of talk about a shared future for Northern Ireland from some quarters but it is action, not words, which is required and we have seen very little of that as yet.