Beattie slams SF backing of council motion to 'ban' Army from recruiting in schools

A Military Cross winner has expressed his disgust at a vote by Derry City and Strabane District Council urging local schools not to facilitate armed forces recruitment events.

Ex-soldier Doug Beattie, an Ulster Unionist MLA, questioned Sinn Fein over its support for the motion, which he described as "offensive in the extreme".

Independent councillor Gary Donnelly put forward the motion calling on schools "to refuse British armed forces access to children/pupils as part of their attempt to glamorise/recruit for their imperialist ventures".

It passed with 24 councillors, including Sinn Fein and independents, voting in favour. Unionists voted against, while the SDLP abstained.

The council has no power to control who schools invite on their premises.

Mr Beattie said: "For Sinn Fein to back a motion - no matter how ludicrous - to prevent anyone considering a career in the British military receiving career advice while at school sets a clear sectarian agenda. How does Sinn Fein explain away the work of British military nurses who helped fight the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone?

"How do they tell children, who are threatened by indiscriminate republican bombs, that the person defusing the bomb and keeping them safe is a British soldier?

"Just how do they propose to undermine the work of British UN peacekeepers in Southern Sudan, while at the same time promoting the Irish Defence Force UN peacekeepers in the Lebanon?

"Does Sinn Fein want equality? Do they promote respect? Are they truly advocates of integrity?

"The actions of their councillors in backing this motion sends a clear message to what they ironically call their 'unionist brothers and sisters'.

"That is: you are not welcome now and you are not welcome in the future and you will never be welcome in any united Ireland in which we have any influence."

DUP MLA Gary Middleton also criticised the vote, describing it as the "latest example of an extremely divisive agenda being promoted in the council".

"Firstly, it should be noted that the council has absolutely no power to enforce this or tell local schools what to do," he said.

"It is clear, however, that some councillors wish to intimidate schools from doing nothing more than providing young people with the information about pursuing a career in the armed forces should they wish to do so."

Mr Donnelly said his move was sparked by Army recruitment stalls in schools in Belfast.

"The British Army has a policy of recruiting child soldiers. I brought this motion... to send a very clear message to them that we don't want them preying on children here," he said.

Belfast Telegraph