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Purvis: Unionists 'lacking honesty' over Bill of Rights
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
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There were angry clashes in the Assembly yesterday after a leading loyalist accused unionist parties of 'lacking honesty' in their opposition to a strong Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.
Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) leader Dawn Purvis warned the UUP and DUP they were failing Protestant communities by blocking efforts to enshrine a wide range of rights in law.
But she drew an angry reaction from Ulster Unionist Basil McCrea, whose party tabled an Assembly motion warning that proposals from the Human Rights Commission went beyond those envisaged in the Good Friday Agreement.
The Commission's plans for a Bill covering a range of rights are currently with the Secretary of State Shaun Woodward.
The UUP motion calling for Mr Woodward to ignore the blueprint failed to secure cross-community support in the Assembly today.
But a call by Ms Purvis for government to proceed with a public consultation on the Bill was supported by a majority of MLAs.
"The lack of honesty in the other unionist parties in this chamber is disheartening," said Ms Purvis.
"Are they afraid that if the Protestant working classes fully understood and recognised their own rights, they would then have expectations of a more equitable society?
"Are they afraid that they couldn't then deliver such a society? Or do they just not want to deliver such a society?"
He added: "The duplicity continues. Every week the parties in this chamber wax lyrical about how hard they are working on the issues they are seeing in their constituency offices.
"Problems with housing, access to medication and adequate care, mental health services, the post-primary transfer and the guarantee of a decent education.
"What exactly do they think these are? These are rights for which people are seeking protection."
But the UUP's Basil McCrea said the proposals for a Bill would be a 'paradise for jobsworths' who would delay the work of government.
"Ms Purvis is not the only person in this chamber on the unionist benches that cares about the people in the Protestant working classes," he said.
"How dare she say that she's the only person who can go and do that. We argue as a party for the social justice that is demanded by all of the people of Northern Ireland.
"And we will not be brow-beaten by people from whatever side of this House that wish to rewrite history."
Ms Purvis had raised the significance of poverty and inequality in creating the Troubles and warned that failing to deal with such issues risked fresh tensions.
But Mr McCrea said the Troubles were caused by those engaged in violence and not by social policy.
He said he was dismayed by the PUP leader's comments, and added: "I could use stronger language, but I do not not think it is appropriate in this chamber to accuse people that are elected representatives of being dishonest, of not taking into account what their electorate have to say.
"We are accused of duplicity, and we are accused of being confused. I have to say to the member, I am not confused, I am not acting in a duplicitous manner, I do not act with any lack of honesty.
"The central issue in front of us here is whether it is right to present to a public consultation when it is quite clear that at least two of the major parties in this chamber do not support the recommendations.
"To go further forward is a complete and utter waste of public money."
The DUP backed the Ulster Unionist concerns and warned against a Bill that would enshrine a wide range of rights and entitlements in law, with both parties arguing that a wide-ranging Bill risked undermining the role of the Assembly.
Sinn Fein and the SDLP supported the Progressive Unionist Party amendment proposing a public consultation on the Bill of Rights proposals, as did the Alliance Party.
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Was this Bill of Rights initially put together with input from the Voluntary and Community Sector?
I believe it was, and as such, the Voluntary & Community Sector have already stated what they want included. Why do they now want to stop this?
Posted by Karen | 06.11.09, 10:25 GMT
Mr McCrea and the 108 jobsworths are getting in the way of proper legislation and policy....ne'er a thing has been delivered since devolution because the present batch of politicans are singularly incapable of delivering anything of consequence...'tis fascists that deny the people their rights in the pretence that they, the people, do not need them....'tis fascists that preserve 'traditional' authority in the face of demands for progressive rights...hold tight ther reigns of power Basil...your time is not long, a weary electorate will retire you to a place of rest and contemplation.
Posted by Malachy Mulligan | 05.11.09, 17:37 GMT
dup/uup. why dont you stop bullying the lady is right in what she says. the fact is the dup and uup are not democrats when they speak of rights and power sharing it always refers to sharing with republican/and nationalist so why not share with working class people on both sides of the divide .you boys in suits are hypocrits let evryone share in a northern ireland bill of rights or is it that you men in black are afraid of something you cannot manipulate and control?
Posted by michael donaldson | 05.11.09, 16:33 GMT
No need for this. The Rights asked for are all enshrined in lawa already - another quango junket for all involved
Posted by Keith | 05.11.09, 12:20 GMT
Northern Ireland doesn't need its own Bill of Rights. No prizes for guessing that the local jobs worths would spend their time gold plating it into a nightmare. Conservative Party Shadow Sec of State Dominic Grieve said on a visit to N.I. that the proposals in it made his hair stand on end. Cameron has said that there will be one Bill of Rights for the UK. That is enough for ALL UK citizens
Posted by Jason Shields | 04.11.09, 23:51 GMT
DUPlicity!!
Dawn Purvis is right in asking for a BoR to be enacted. You go girl, (and I'm a Nationalist!!)
The working class of both communities need to unite and see the ruling class for what they are and how they have maintained their control thru divide-and-conquer tactics. Don't be DUPed or dUUPed by either of these throwback entities.
Time to move on...
Posted by Mr. P | 04.11.09, 19:56 GMT
Dawn and the PUP have came a long way from the politics of facism! The PUP have self educated themselves into a political party with socialism to the fore! It is time the working class embraced these changes. The UUP offer nothing but the same =Tory policies! The object of the peace process is not to cast stones at the past but move on 'together' to a better future for our families! The UUP have had their years never mind days! It is time for true working class parties to rise from the ashes of Ulsters dismal past! I say give the PUP credit where credit is due! The UUP still live in a dark period of his'tory' which they helped to create ==dinosaurs!
Posted by Don King | 04.11.09, 19:13 GMT
Absolute nonsense. It is Dawn who is duplicitous. Noone did more to suppress the Protestant working classes than the loyalist terrorist thugs from which her "Party" was spawned. It sickens me to hear the Party apologists for thuggery and criminality like the PUP and SF pleading human rights when they more than anyone else denied so many their right to life, freedom of thought and conscience, freedom from torture and degrading treatment and countless other civil,political, socio-eonomic and cultural rights.
Posted by Mike Creelan | 04.11.09, 14:44 GMT
Bravo Dawn, right on the money and I wish there were more like you.
The Unionist elite ran Ulster for 70 odd years by successfully dividing, with sectarianism, two natural allies ( and enemies of elitism)...the Protestant and Catholic working classes. Are those in the Protestant working class now beginning to see that? I hope so!
Posted by Patrick | 04.11.09, 13:13 GMT
Well said Dawn. Stormont has become a pure talking shop. They've done very little to earn their wages.
And its interesting that UUP and DUP don't want our rights 'enshrined'. Should we all just be happy with what the good middle class folks in the 'big house' allow us to have?
Correct me if im wrong but lack of rights was what kicked off the troubles to start with.....
Posted by Londonlad | 04.11.09, 13:11 GMT