I wonder how much Trevor Ringland is being paid in his latest incarnation as ‘special envoy’ to the US. He’s been appointed by British Secretary of State Brandon Lewis “with the aim of strengthening ties between the two nations”. He’ll work with US firms and investors to build on established links and support NI’s long-term economic development.
Arlene Foster says “I hope he can help some in the US understand better the views of people in NI and our place within the UK”. Doug Beattie says it’ll provide “fantastic opportunities” and notes that . “[Trevor] is a strong advocate for the union and a unionism that is all-encompassing and reaches out across the divide.”
It’s not hard to read between the lines here: this will be a unionist envoy in the US, showing how nice the people of NEI really are (forget those burning vehicles) and how NEI is a great place to do business (forget those burning vehicles).
Sinn Féin aren’t punching the air, though – Michelle O’Neill sounds more as though she’d like to punch a few faces: The NI Executive’s ‘permanent diplomatic mission’ based in Washington DC “has proven to be effective and we do not need interference from the Tories in how we engage with the US administration, Congress, or the Irish-American community“.
Trevor Ringland, whose salary remains a secret, says “I want great relations across this island and between these islands, I want this place to be a success socially and economically. I care about all of our children no matter what their background, their political perspective or anything.” No, Virginia, the use of the term ‘children’ isn’t puzzling at all. It’s pinched straight from the Easter 1916 proclamation.
You don’t have to know that Trevor was a UUP candidate at one point, then a Conservative party member, to realise that his job is to show how unionists here are really nice people. And yet his salary, no doubt a generous one, will be funded by unionists and nationalists and republicans.
Somewhere, there must be a journalist who’ll ask Trevor what he plans to do that the ‘permanent diplomatic mission’ can’t do. And maybe how much he’s getting paid. (Mmm, no, Virginia – I don’t think it’s coming out of Brandon Lewis’s pocket. If you look, you might find Trevor himself in there, but not his salary.)
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