- Barry McElduff quit as MP after posting video of him balancing loaf on his head
- Clip was condemned as a reference to 1976 Kingsmill massacre by the IRA
- The politician has insisted the insensitive post was not intended to be offensive
A Sinn Fein MP who posted a video of himself balancing a loaf of bread on his head on the anniversary of the Kingsmill massacre today resigned from the Commons.
Barry McElduff has quit despite insisting the insensitive post was not intended as a reference to the republican murders of ten Protestant workmen on January 5, 1976 in County Armagh.
The Kingsmill brand is popular in Northern Ireland and shares its name with the village where one of the most notorious incidents of the Troubles took place.
Mr McElduff had already apologised ‘unreservedly’ for the video, and was last week suspended by his party for three months.

Barry McElduff said the insensitive post (left) was not intended as a reference to the republican murders of ten Protestant workmen on January 5, 1976
In a statement today, he said he had now decided to quit as an abstentionist member of parliament for West Tyrone.
‘It is with great sadness that, after more than 30 years as an active Sinn Fein member and public representative I am tendering my resignation as MP for West Tyrone,’ he said
‘The reason I am doing so is because of the consequences of the Twitter video which has caused such controversy over the last week.’
Mr McElduff reiterated his insistence that he had not meant the video as a reference to the sectarian murders of 10 protestant workmen by republican paramilitaries near the south Armagh village of Kingsmill in 1976.
He said his greatest regret was the ‘deep and unnecessary hurt’ his video had caused the Kingsmill families.
‘I again offer my profound apology to those families and to the wider victims community,’ he added.
‘Had I been conscious of the connection to the terrible atrocity at Kingsmill I would certainly not have posted that tweet. I genuinely did not make that connection, not for a second did I make that connection in my mind.
‘Kingsmill was wrong, unjustifiable and sectarian. It should never have happened.
The extent of Mr McElduff’s original punishment by Sinn Fein – a three-month suspension while still being paid – was widely criticised by unionists.

Kingsmill victims: L-R top – Robert Chambers, John Bryans, Joseph Lemon and Joseph McWhirter. L-R bottom – Walter Chapman, John McConville, Kenneth Wharton and Reggie Chapman, who all died in the massacre