The latest policy from the DUP is an attempt to blackmail the Irish government and the EU into removing the Northern Ireland Protocol and the sea border and the setting up a new land border.
This is arrogance and hypocrisy of the worst kind since the DUP party themselves voted to support Brexit and the Tory Leader Boris Johnson, even though the majority of people in the north voted against Brexit.
This is democracy á la DUP.
On this occasion they have shown their contempt for nationalists and republicans by stating that if Sinn Féin got the majority of seats in the assembly they would not take their seats in government. This is the type of hatred that nationalists have had to put up with from extreme unionists since the partition of the island.
The British government and others thought that the problem was one of community relations and continued to put millions of pounds into lectures and meetings throughout Northern Ireland, all to no effect.
The area of Northern Ireland and the population is too small to put pressure on the extremes that exist here. The problems we now experience are the fault of the British government who introduced partition into such a small island and cost thousands of lives over the last century. People only need to look at Palestine and India to witness the evil of partition that was carried out by the British government. The men of 1916 and many others since died to get rid of partition yet various British or Irish governments did very little to end it except to make speeches.
The situation in Northern Ireland is now at a most critical and dangerous juncture. Time is of the essence and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, who is an honourable man, must quickly talk to Boris Johnson and agree to set up a date for talks.
Moderate unionists have said on several occasions they would talk to the present taoiseach because they regard him as a fair and trustworthy man. There will never be a better time to offer unionists a fair and genuine deal as they often say, for the sake of their families, they want to know what future holds for them and what place they will have in any new Ireland.
Most reasonable people in Northern Ireland are tired of southern politicians, clergymen and so called ‘do-gooders’ metaphorically patting them on the back and telling them to go back to Stormont and continue to work for reconciliation.
Anyone who listens to the DUP knows full well that there is no long-term future or reconciliation to be found in Stormont.
The majority of unionist people know this to be true but will only accept a united Ireland if the Irish and British governments spell out the terms and conditions of a deal to guarantee their rights and inheritance on this island.
This is the most appropriate time to start talks that will offer hope to the long-suffering people in Northern Ireland.
FRANK FEELY
Founding member of the SDLP,
Newry, Co Down
Support Harry’s Law
Deirdre Shakespeare having a day like any other, when her heart was broken. Her son, Harry, pointed to a scrapbook full of pictures from his school year. Deirdre opened it up expecting to see her son doing activities any other child would do – playing with his friends, having fun, any activities a five-year-old would get up to. But that was not the case. She instead saw her son mechanically restrained in a chair – upset, scared and frightened. Pictures of him being forced to touch things through ‘sensory play’. Harry has autism, a learning disability and is non-verbal, which culminates in extreme vulnerability and also means he has sensory issues. Imagine forcing an extremely vulnerable child to partake in an activity that would cause huge amounts of distress and pain. She was devastated, disappointed and distressed. How could the people she trusted to look after her child let her down like that? She tried to get help – but the responsibility of who has the duty to investigate was unclear. She said: “In our experience children’s social services were unwilling or unable to exercise their duty to intervene. As a consequence, parents like ourselves are subjected to online abuse, gaslighting and harassment as we are seen to be whistleblowers.” She tried to engage with the school and the board of governors but was instead faced by obstruction and hostility. This is not good enough – who is there to protect children with disabilities when social services, schools and support networks turn away?
Some, of course, may say that restraint is necessary in some situations – I would agree. However, adults put in a position of trust by the parent abuse the current laws too much. They are only meant to use restraint as a ‘last resort’. So why do so many use this as a first resort, as in Harry’s case? Not only that, but repeatedly. Additionally, volunteers with no prior knowledge and training on how to deal with these situations are given the power to use harmful force when supposedly learning to care for children. I wonder what malpractices these volunteers in particular have learnt, who may go on to other jobs and continue this cycle of abuse.
But we can stop this – we can support Deirdre and Harry and all countless other victims who have yet to come forward. We can create positive change for all children – children with additional needs and those without – by supporting Harry’s Law.
ELLEN TAYLOR
Alliance member, Downpatrick, Co Down
Cast your vote for National Lottery awards
Four local projects have been named finalists in the National Lottery Project of the Year category in the 2021 National Lottery Awards and need readers’ support to help them win. The National Lottery Awards are the annual search for the UK’s favourite National Lottery-funded people and projects. The celebrate the inspirational individuals and organisations who do extraordinary things with the more than £30 million raised by National Lottery players for good causes.
Among the nominees are inter-cultural arts organisation, Beyond Skin, Bready Cricket Club, the Stroke Association NI’s First Step initiative and Reimagine, Remake, Replay, a creative media programme to connect young people to heritage run by the Nerve Centre in Derry. They could be in with the chance of winning £3,000 and an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy. They would be delighted if people could support them by casting a vote on?www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards?or by tweeting using their unique hashtags #NLABeyondSkin, #NLABreadyCricket, #NLAStroke or #NLAReimagine. But?please?be quick!? Voting closes at 5pm next Monday October 4.??? ???
JONATHAN TUCHNER
National Lottery, London
