The DUP’s Edwin Poots and Paul Givan may not be physically joined at the hip , but their heads are joined in their attitude to the nationalist/republican community. For both, that community serves one useful purpose: as a way of impressing on their followers how true they are to the traditions of their ancestors.
I’m sure both men are friendly, approachable people. Mr Poots may look a little unhappy at times but it probably comes from having had to carry the heavy load of Health Minister at one point. Mr Givan looks fresh-faced and youthful – a cheerful Christian, busily representing his constituents. Or at least some of them.
G B Shaw said we should not judge a person’s philosophy of life from what they say, rather observe what they do. Judged by that criterion, Messrs Givan and Poots emerge as a pretty gruesome twosome.
You or I may feel uneasy that a Ministers and a former Ministers were participating in Eleventh Night bonfire celebrations – Mr Givan in Fivemiletown, Mr Poots in Lisburn. Mr Givan posted on Facebook: “Enjoyed a wonderful Eleventh Night at Roughan Orange Hall opening a new £320k 4G pitch and celebrating the traditional lighting of the bonfire”. Innocent enough, you might think.The bonfire wasn’t surrounded by drunken youths or decorated with images of nationalist/republican politicians, as far as we know. But it didn’t have to be. Mr Givan was making it clear that while he might appear young and fresh-faced, his heart was with those who like nothing better than a good Eleventh Night blaze.
Mr Poots went one better – he attended the bonfire in Lisburn, which had been decorated with a number of flags prior to being ignited. Was Mr Poots bothered? “I really couldn’t care less what a pernicious website has to say or a newspaper which struggles to find anything good to say about unionists”. He’s referring to the satirical website LAD and the Irish News respectively.
Would it be easy to get depressed that two leading DUP politicians show such contempt for the nationalist/republican people in their constituency? It would indeed. If two SDLP or Sinn Féin MLAs had attended a ceremony where it was traditional to burn images of Queen Elizabeth, Ian Paisley and/or King William III, and had publicly expressed the pleasure they derived from so doing, what would you think? You’d conclude that those MLAs were sinking to the region of a snake’s belly and you’d wait for the mother and father of bollockings they’d get from their party leader. Followed, more like than not, by a fulsome public apology from the errant MLAs.
But with Mr Poots and Mr Givan? Not a chance. Their leader Arlene would no more reprove them for their bonfire appearance than she would wear hobnailed boots to a royal garden party.
Maybe we should keep a list of these incidents and place them alongside contrasting actions by nationalist/republican politicians, and up-date it regularly. It would particularly helpful for educating our new pro-consul James Brokenshire . It might also be of assistance to freshly-minted PM Theresa May when she comes to decide how precious she feels the Union with such people is.
While the fully deserved appointment of Arlene Foster to the Privy Council is a most encouraging portent for the future of Norneverland, Esteemed Blogmeister, would that one could be as sanguine while sussing out the latest S.O.S. / Secretary of State.
In her elevated role as Mrs. Mop in the Mother of Parlourments (M.O.P.) the new, no-nonsense janitorette will assuredly see to it that there will be NO new release of the old Slim Dusty hit in the members’ bar of Westminster:
-The Pub toilet bowl with no Seat.
It is not without a certain trepidation, however, that one views the new, erm, Poots on the Ground, to see just how snugly he fits into the high-heels of the lesser-spotted Tess.
THE BREAKWINDS of CHANGE
Cad e this cod-named James Brokenshire?
One more aspiring Kevin ’Outspoken’ Myer’?
(Tess, a busted flush
Givan the tush push)
Or just another token esquire for Norn Ire?
The recently appointed shire reeve has a number of burning issues vying for his attention as Richard ‘Cassino’ Needham, not one for keeping his cards close to his chest, deals out advice as the proconsul takes over the reins of office.
Just as exposure to a carcinogen increases chances of developing cancer, exposure to bonfires increase the risk of death, serious injury and damage to property. Physicians are developing compelling arguments about public health issues. Doctors are now obliged to wage legislative and medical battles while some elected representatives in this part of the world appear to relish fires that plunder the public purse.
Somehow Jude, I don’t think our new proconsul or his boss Theresa will get too exercised by these annual displays of hateful bigotry by their friends in the DUP.
Because religious discrimination is institutionalised in what we are told is the ‘bastion of democracy’, the English house of lords.
As of right, 26 Church of England bishops have permanent seats there, helping to influence the laws which will govern also Catholics, Jews, Moslems, Hindus etc.
But yet no other faith has a similar right or entitlement!
Extra discrimination is heaped on Catholics, as none is allowed by law to become a monarch, a prohibition which applies to no other religion.
So if the Tories are happy with religious discrimination at home, why should they fuss about it in this little outpost?
Absolutely correct, Britain has more in common with Iran than with the USA or even the free state. I honestly think they must be putting something in the drinking water in Britain because nobody ever mentions that.
This is the real reason for the desire of a huge tranche of unionism to leave the EU, Jude . It’s nothing to do with economics because most of them know as much about the economics as they know about their own history.The less their obnoxious and illogical behaviour is witnessed outside of this snakepit , the better they feel. If Europe isn’t watching , all the better.
Basically they want, in every respect, to turn logic on its head and pretend that right is wrong and wrong is right. Morality is immorality…. and immorality is morality.They stand with their shining dubious Christian faces and spout hatred by their very actions , not seeing the simple irony of any of it.They pretend to love their neighbour but the hatred is rooted in the doubtful cultural events thay annually espouse …again without a scrap of irony.
they make constant homophobic and racist statements about their neighbours. They ruin the environment , pollute the place both metaphorically …and indeed ,in reality too and then expect to be treated as “a good Christian people”. I can’t see how they can really square that circle . Their actions are there to be listed …and the list is a long one .In the UK ,they couldn’t care less what these people do and represent ,just so long as they do it to the other paddies “over there”.
They’ll continue to send non-entity politicians over to write the same bland reportage , talking vaguely about preserving this dubious union of a marriage but actually doing very little . You know when a Prime Minister starts talking abou “the union” that the minister is only making noises for the optics. If they really cared about the union , they’d be paying more attention to those stalwarts over here who have spent so long making a bloody mess of it.The Scots know this and the English and Welsh know it too. It’s only a matter of time before they decide to let us slip quietly away to our own devices.
Why would they do any different when they have been rewarded for their actions over the decades, and indeed centuries, with knighthoods, secret and public handshakes, pats on the backs etc. for their loyalty to the colonial mother. Their attitudes of superiority over others, fermenting bitterness and hatred are the breeding ground for young angry men and future recruits to the British military regime – which let’s face it, is the reason a blind eye is turned to their sectarianism, ignorance and abhorrence of every thing that is not them. Sure there’s Arlene Privy adviser to the English queen for services rendered. She didn’t get that role for wearing her oversized crown broach on her lapel.
Poots – the name suits him, and Givin are presumably “saved” or “born again” which seems to give them permission not to love their neighbours as themselves. Gregory (why did his mother give him a name favoured by popes?) Campbell seems to be their Son of God on earth.
But Foster is Church of Ireland ? Where does all that patronising bile come from?
Teresa May harks back to the days of the British Empire when she talks of the precious Union. The opening speech harked back to Thatcher who talked about similar goodies in her premiership but did the opposite. The first thing May wants to do is get rid of the European Bill of Rights. She will then wield the heel of her designer shoes on the working man and woman.
Broken shire’s appointment to NI was based on his links to MI5
God help Sinn Fein. When they they said they were in for the long haul, little did they know…………
In recent years we’ve seen the likes of McGuiness meet and shake the hand of the Queen on several occasions in an effort, we’re told, to reach out to the “other” community to show our respect to their traditions yet then we have the likes of Poots, Givan, Foster and Campbell amongst others who by their word and deed demonstrate consistently they have no intention to offer the hand of friendship and reconciliation in return even in the slightest way.
I dispair for our future.
i dispair for our future…….
well dont,when they are voted into a united ireland what will they have a few seats in government,a few seats in catholic dominated councils,this kulture will turn into a day at rossnowlagh beach, a day at the boyne site maybe,a few controlled beacons,all under licence fully insured,policed by the garda,and the clean up all paid by the organisers of course.so dont dispair the futures bright its certainly not orange.
If we ask them to stop this type of behaviour I suppose it is chipping away at a central part of that culture, namely the hate of the Irish that is passed from generation to generation like a police baton. Similarly, removing Posters belonging to Nationalist parties that have been taken without permission, is to chip away at another part of that culture, namely, sending out the Protestant youths to “collect” these cultural tokens. Afterall these youths dedicate some 4 months of their time gathering material for the pyre. Asking unionist politicians not to support sectarian activities, well, (all together now) is chipping away at that culture. The politicians have to be there to show their allegiance.
Good post, harry. I especially liked “noises for the optics”.
Jude, Unfortunately, the old DUP mentality of being divisive towards the “other” community is alive and kicking amongst some of their elected representatives – some of the old guard haven’t moved forward at all in regards their conciliatory approach towards Nationalism or their attitude to anything outside of Unionism, Loyalism and Protestantism – it’s sad, really – the thing is though, Poots, Campbell, Dodds, et al are instrumental to the party to ensure votes come from the “hardline” element of the Unionist electorate – these acts of bravado (perhaps, how they see it) are for outreach purposes, to engage with the unionist community, to show that loyality still lies at the heart of the DUP (remember Flag Protest – led the people up a hill, and ran away, leaving the people at the top) – it was these voters that allowed the DUP to escilpse the UUP in 2003 and the DUP need them – these acts are one of showboating whilst reminiscent of their backward looking ways, their inability to move forward and to remain insular – that’s why they’ve remained there and go unchecked whenever they do something or say something inappropriate – the party know that if their actions are condemned by the leadership of unionism, it would result in an outcry within the unionist electorate – it’s best to say nothing. Perhaps, it’s more a pity and to a degree, an embarrassment – grown, educated men, feeling the need to attend a bonfire to “celebrate” their culture ….
” a bonfire to “celebrate” their culture ….”
They don’t have a culture TheHist. I cant think of any culture in the World that is so venomous, that burns the National flag of another people, that preaches such hatred towards people of a particular religion. That isn’t a culture, that’s just hatred.
Culture is something that is fostered over centuries, maybe over a thousand years. It enriches a nation, it brings joy to everyone in a nation, it welcomes everyone and it allows everyone to engage. Culture is POSITIVE. Euro 2016 just a few weeks ago was an example of people engaging in culture, mainly French, and where everyone had a brilliant time, regardless of their race, religion, etc.
Does Unionist “Culture” do any of this? No, just the opposite in fact.
Ryan, culture is the collective characteristics of a particular group of people that they feel are an expression of that communities knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes and customs and should be communicated through a medium adequately representative of ethos of that culture which is generally passed on from generation to generation through use of social behaviour and symbols that distinguishes the members of one group of people from another.
Examples would be Dance, Music, Storytelling, Poetry, Art all of which are examples of Irish culture and can be attributed to all Irish people regardless of their religion or political beliefs.
Unionism is nothing more than the bigotry of partition, that would divide a country and its people over sectarian values.
Hardly surprising therefore that the culture that has evolved and is celebrated within unionism should involve derision of their perceived enemies culture (even though it is also their own) and that it manifests in symbolic and highly visual displays such as bonfires and flag burnings or colourful and highly provocative marches along their perceived enemies communities organised by sectarian groups such as the orange order.
While such cultural traditions will indeed lead to hatred since they are focussed on division, they are none the less accurate reflections of the culture that exists within unionism and without them, unionism has no culture other than to embrace the very culture it opposes which is Irish over British.
As I say, it is their mess, let them deal with it themselves.
Just be grateful we have not denied ourselves the rich cultural traditional we have in Ireland that are celebrated throughout the world.
well named isnt he,brokenshire hes here to broker the border deal.bonfires will be the least of his worries.the south will be under huge pressure to control their side of the border now after last nights episode in france.
The DUP and, lets face it, the general Unionist community (not all of them but enough) do sectarian displays on a yearly basis in order to show their neighbours their hatred and contempt they have for Catholics and anything Irish, Republican and Nationalist. They even go as far as to describe it, perversely, as a “culture” or a “tradition”. Catholics aren’t the only people they hate, they often make reference to people of other nationalities (Kenyan and Polish flags were burnt in recent years, in reference to Polish communities here and the victims of British torture in Kenya getting Justice and compensation, which was widely reported in the media at the time).
I’m sure most people have seen the photo Danny Kinahan MP from the UUP posted. He posted a photo of a bonfire with a UDA/UVF slogan and an Irish Tricolour ready to be burnt. Do you think that was an accident? Do you think Danny just wasn’t thinking properly of how sectarian this would look? No, he knew full well. Danny was playing to the sectarian Gallery as surely as Edwin Poots was. He even tried to say the Irish flag was removed before the bonfire was lit. Yeah and Santa Claus is coming to Town Danny lol
The reaction of the PSNI and the media is very important in all of this. The PSNI, who is suppose to detect and prevent crime, has sat back year after year and allowed hate crimes to happen on the 11th. Remember, the PSNI is a POLICE FORCE, they’re meant to stop crime. What other police force would sit back and pretend that hate crimes isn’t happening? Its the same with tyres. Last year it was reported that numerous businesses reported theft of tyres. The PSNI suddenly awoke to these reports just AFTER the 12th. How convenient.
The mainstream media turns a blind eye to the sectarianism and hate too. They go one step further and even enforce the image that all this is “culture” and “tradition”, whilst usually ending an article with a one sentence mention of Irish/Polish/Catholic symbols being burnt as if its just the odd one or two bonfires who engage in this behaviour whilst we know its the majority.
What’s disturbing is the Hate and Sectarianism this is preaching to Protestants of all ages. They are literally being taught that hatred of their neighbours is “Culture”. They are being taught that these events will be “precious memories” as they grow older, that they should make their own children do the same thing in future.
Will this contribute to a stable society? Will this hamper or promote sectarianism and hatred? even violence? Needless to say when you preach hatred to anyone it always ends badly and that’s how it will end here in the North of Ireland. Paisley taught hatred of Catholics for so long and it ended in the sectarian murders of hundreds of Catholic civilians at the hands of Unionist paramilitaries.
But in many ways we should be thankful to the DUP and Unionism in general. At least we can easily show to the World who is holding back progress and who is to blame for the vast majority of the issues here. As Catholics become a majority, at least we know that it will be impossible for Unionism to attract even 1% Catholic support. Indeed at the minute its estimated that 10% of Protestants vote regularly for Nationalism (mostly SDLP) but less than 1% of Catholics vote DUP and 0% vote UUP. I expect those tiny figures to decrease even as the Catholic population expands and as the Protestant population continues to shrink……
PS: I think Jude is right, we should keep a record of all this but we might need a warehouse to store all the data……
So unionist politicians attending a bonfire is terrible but nationalist politicians taking part in terrorist glorification events isn’t? Or did I miss the blog condemning the latter?
Dr C
I think that list idea is an excellent idea.