Derry supergrass Raymond Gilmour believes "nothing has changed" in the North despite the new power-sharing arrangements between Sinn Féin and the DUP.
In a phonecall to the 'Derry Journal,' the former British agent - who infiltrated the IRA and INLA in Derry - says he "can't understand" the new relationship between republicans and the PSNI.
Gilmour left Derry in August 1982 when he thought his r
ole as an informer had been discovered by the organisation after his information led to the seizure of a heavy duty machine gun. After he was taken into protective custody by his handlers, around 100 IRA and INLA suspects were arrested, 35 of whom were later charged with various paramilitary offences.
The IRA later kidnapped his father, holding him at a location in Donegal for almost a year in an unsuccessful bid to force Gilmour to withdraw his evidence. In 1983 he gave evidence against his former "comrades" but the following year the presiding judge at the trial ruled he was not a credible witness, describing him as "entirely unworthy of belief ..... a selfish and self-regarding man, to whose lips a lie comes more naturally than the truth."
Speaking from a secret location in England, the 47 year-old, who is still believed to be under a death threat from both the IRA and INLA, said: "I still follow the politics over there and keep an eye on what is going on. Sinn Féin and the PSNI have got together now. I will never understand it. I think it's a good thing; I love peace and everything that comes with it but I don't understand it. Being who I am, there is something inside of me that tells me that it is not right. I can't see how Ian Paisley agreed to it."
Gilmour - who told his story in a best-selling book (pictured right) - also questioned the "genuineness" of calls from republican leaders such as Martin McGuinness for nationalists to come forward and give information to the police.
What's the difference?
"There is not a lot of difference between what I was doing all those years ago and what people are now being asked to do by people like Martin McGuinness. Despite what is being said, people are still not coming forward because they are still afraid of being shot or targeted if they give information to the police. Nothing has changed and I think that is really sad," he said.
Mr. Gilmour claimed he cried when he learned about the recent murder of 22 year-old Emmett Shiels who was shot dead in Derry two weeks ago.
"I was very upset when I heard about it; I actually cried. I thought about it and realised that it could easily have been someone from my family who was shot and I wouldn't know a thing about it. My heart breaks for his family and everyone connected to him. I can't understand what is happening in Derry now. It is sad.
Could get worse
"Similar things are happening in England but I thought people in Northern Ireland had more respect. I think it is going to get worse in Northern Ireland. It is bad in England but it could get worse in Northern Ireland because people have access to guns and still have an animosity towards the police.
