Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“For some weeks now I have been pressing the Culture Minister and those organising the World Police and Fire Games about whether or not the Union Flag will be flown to represent competitors from Northern Ireland. The answers have been ambiguous to say the least.
“Now, with less than two weeks to go before the Games, I am demanding clarity as to whether the Union Flag will be flown to represent competitors from Northern Ireland. Continue Reading…
Statement by North Antrim MLA Jim Allister:
“Once again the PSNI have brought William Frazer before the courts for alleged breach of bail and once again they have failed to have him remanded. The PSNI’s harassment of Mr Frazer has to stop and stop now. Apart from anything else these court appearances are a scandalous waste of public money.
“The repeated, failed attempts of the PSNI to have Mr Frazer returned to custody would be laughable were the issues involved not so serious. This political policing must stop immediately. It is doing huge damage to the standing of the PSNI within the Unionist community, particularly when they compare it with the attitude adopted towards Gerry Kelly”.
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Over three weeks ago Gerry Kelly, a person supposedly on licence in consequence of his life sentences, obstructed the police by jumping on a land rover. He has yet to be questioned or arrested, it seems.
“But today, victim’s campaigner William Frazer attended the debate in the public gallery at Stormont and was arrested within minutes on the Upper Newtownards Road because of his attendance at Stormont. This is perverse and partial policing.”
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“As time goes on it is becoming increasingly clear that the concerns of innocent victims about the Sinn Fein/DUP plans for the Maze site are well founded. An answer which I received today from the Education Minister will compound those fears.
“I asked the Education Minister how his Department and schools will relate to, and use, the proposed Conflict Resolution Centre and prison buildings at the Maze site. O’Dowd responded telling me that the “Conflict Resolution Centre and prison buildings at the Maze site are likely to provide important educational opportunities for our young people”. He then went on to say that the Department could “facilitate the dissemination of materials produced by the Centre to schools” and likened this to work the Department of Education has already done with resources produced by the Imperial War Museum dealing with the Holocaust! Continue Reading…
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“The outrageous decision of the Parades Commission to ban the return parade passed the Ardoyne shops has understandable grabbed the headlines. However, the bizarre decision to also ban a parade in Castlederg due to take place before an 11th Night Bonfire also deserves media scrutiny.
“I have been contacted by members of Castlederg Young Loyalists Flute Band who are baffled and rightly outraged by the Commission’s decision to ban their parade along a section of a road which is overwhelmingly Protestant.
“There has been no controversy surrounding parades there in the past and the band suspect that the Commission’s decision is the result of pressure from Sinn Fein. I understand that a local Unionist politician has made representations to the Commission following news of the restrictions placed on the parade but these were dismissed. Continue Reading…
Condemning the Parades Commission decision to ban the Orange evening parade past Ardoyne, TUV Leader Jim Allister said:-
Jim Allister MLA and Ann Travers
The Civil Service Special Advisers Bill yesterday (8th July) received Royal Assent.
Commenting its sponsor Jim Allister said:-
“Despite all the foolish claims of some, most notably Sinn Fein, that it was not human rights compliant, the SPAD Bill passed all the rigorous scrutiny of the Attorney General, the Advocate General and the NIO’s lawyers and is now the law of the land.
“Under the Act ministers must now declare if any of their Special Advisers have serious criminal convictions and multiple murderer Paul Kavanagh, and any other serious criminal in post, has 3 weeks to activate the appeal mechanism to an independent panel on specified grounds. Otherwise Mr Kavanagh automatically loses his position 2 months after Royal Assent. Continue Reading…
Below is the speech Mr Allister made today when proposing his amendment.
I beg to move amendment No 2:
Leave out all after “glazing” and insert
“; and having no confidence in the Minister for Social Development calls on him to resign.”
I begin on a totally non-controversial note by saying that it is great to see back in the Chamber the Member for East Londonderry Mr David McClarty. [Applause].
Some Members: Hear, hear.
Mr Allister: It is marvellous that he is back with us. I am sure we all wish him every success in the recovery and the battle that he has.
I am not here today to defend the Housing Executive. I am not here today to defend any contractor, whatever vested interest others might have. I have no vested interest in defending any contractor. This debate is about the Minister. It is the Minister that this House can hold to account, and that is why that is the focus and should be the focus of the debate. True to form, of course, the DUP has tabled an amendment in an attempt to divert and divide attention away from the issue — a desperate attempt to muddy the waters as much as they can. We heard Mr Campbell today, as we heard him on the BBC last week, and I think anyone can see through it. Methinks he doth protest too much in the desperate attempts to muddy the waters in these issues. Continue Reading…
TUV leader Jim Allister has written to the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service requesting an investigation into the behaviour of the Special Adviser to the Minister for Social Development, Stephen Brimstone.
The texts of Mr Allister’s letter is below. Continue Reading…
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister:-
“Tonight’s BBC Spotlight programme was a damming indictment of the DUP and its practice of abuse of power.
“Any self respecting DUP member should be outraged at how their own councillor, Jenny Palmer, was treated. Both Nelson McCausland and his SPAD, who represents him, should resign.
“Ministers are under a statutory duty (S 28 of NI Act 1998) to act in accordance with the Ministerial Code of Conduct which requires them at all times to “observe the highest standards of propriety”. What objective viewers of this programme could conclude Minister McCausland has so acted?Likewise his SPAD. So both should go and would have to if this was an accountable democracy.
“Coming on the heels of the DUP’s power grab of planning powers, this programme revealed further disturbing evidence of the party’s unhealthy links with particular business interests. Continue Reading…
