The son of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane has called for the Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley to 'seriously consider' resigning over comments she made about killings in the North.
Michael Finucane also suggested no British politician would make similar remarks about the Grenfell fire or Hillsborough disaster.
Michael's father Pat represented IRA hunger strikers and was killed in front of his family by Ulster Defence Association (UDA) gunmen at his home in February 1989.
Former British prime minister David Cameron acknowledged there were "shocking levels of collusion" between the the loyalist paramilitaries involved in the killing and British security forces.
Last month, the Finucane family lost a UK Supreme Court challenge over the decision not to hold a public inquiry into his murder.
However, they won a declaration that an effective investigation into his death was not carried out.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said there should be an independent public inquiry into the murder.
Pat FinucanePat's son Michael spoke to Newstalk Breakfast with Susan Keogh this morning.
He was asked about comments by Ms Bradley earlier this week.
In the House of Commons, she suggested that killings carried out by security forces during the Troubles in the North "were not crimes."
She has since issued an apology, saying she was "profoundly sorry for the offence and hurt that my words have caused."
"Extraordinarily insensitive"
Responding to the initial comments, Michael Finucane observed: "I thought her comments were extraordinarily insensitive - quite wrong on their face.
"It was apparent to me - and I'm sure it was apparent to many people - that what she said was going to do incalculable harm to already fragile level of confidence that people who have lost relatives and friends to the conflict in Northern Ireland over many years... that the British government would hold some sort of investigation into their cases."
He added: "I don't know if it was a deliberate interference, but my understanding is that her remarks were scripted - not spontaneous. Therefore, I have to come to the conclusion that this is what they think.
"My family's journey over the last 30 years has demonstrated that Britain, frankly, is not serious about investigating its own actions in Ireland."
(left to right) Michael Finucane, Geraldine Finucane and John Finucane, the family of murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, outside the Supreme Court in central London. Picture by: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire/PA ImagesMichael suggested that similar remarks wouldn't be made about major tragedies in the UK.
He said: "Karen Bradley or any other British politician would not dare make a comment like that about people who lost relatives in the Grenfell fire, or people who lost relatives in the Hillsborough disaster... or any other great tragedy involving the loss of life in England. But they'll say it about Irish people."
Michael told Susan that he doesn't believe people "should be hauled over the coals unfairly" or held to a "superhuman standard" over comments they make.
However, he noted that in this case it's "a Secretary of State speaking in parliament with a script in front of her".
He added: "I think she should give very serious consideration to resignation. That's not something I go around calling for at the drop of a hat - but this is really, really bad... it's really hurtful.
"I found myself wondering how she's going to get over it, and how she's going to get past it. If she can't, as the incumbent of the office, then maybe it is time to make way for someone else."
