Army operating double standards

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 24th Jul 2003

ALLIANCE has accused the Army of double standards after the major who cheated his way to the top prize on 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' was thrown out of the Army.

It was revealed today that Major Charles Ingram has agreed to resign for cheating on the TV quiz show. On the other hand, the Army has allowed Scots Guards Mark Wright and James Fisher, who were convicted of the 1992 murder of 18-year-old Peter McBride, to remain in service.

Councillor Naomi Long (East Belfast) said: "This is breathtaking hypocrisy. The Army is prepared to throw out a major for cheating on a game show, but defends two convicted murderers to the hilt, even after murder convictions.

"This is an embarrassment to the Army and the whole sorry episode continues to undermine its credibility. It would appear that the Army is more worried about bad publicity in England than justice in Northern Ireland.

"Double standards are clearly in effect here. Wright and Fisher are clearly not fit to remain in the Army and should be thrown out immediately, so that some belated semblance of justice might be seen to be done.

"Major Ingram might have lost £1 million because of cheating, but the McBride family has lost a son because he was murdered. To treat Peter McBride's killers more leniently than a quiz cheat is a sick joke."