Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie has defended Colonel Tim Collins, his candidate for North Down in the upcoming general election, after a widely-derided interview.
It was unfair to judge the former army man on the content of the interview, Beattie said, because although it was only published recently in the News Letter, it had in fact been conducted two months earlier; this was apparently before Collins had the benefit of being mentored and nurtured by his new political colleagues in the UUP.
Beattie claimed he “failed” Collins as he hadn’t been properly briefed before going public, acknowledging that this has been a “wrong” interview and that the Westminster candidate was not yet “the finished article”.
It is admirable that Beattie was willing to publicly support his colleague, but any suggestion that he was misrepresented in that interview is complete hogwash.
Colonel Tim Collins is hardly new to the public arena. Catapulted into the limelight after his ‘rousing’ speech to his men on the eve of the Iraq war in 2003 - a self-styled mix of Churchill and Henry V - he has regularly courted the media. The Ray-Bans, the cigar-chomping, the swagger are all part of the 63-year-old ex-SAS soldier’s shtick.
One could overlook the fact that his interview was riddled with glaring inaccuracies about welfare benefits, prescription charges and the role of local councils in the north. Being very poorly informed about the governance of a place that you don’t live is hardly a huge shock. I doubt the vagaries of potholes in North Down are headline news for the Colonel’s local paper, the Kentish Gazette.
However, his casual reliance on toxic tropes about benefit scroungers and immigration are indicative of a worldview that would make Ukip blush. According to him, if Disability Living Allowance “went away and people had to get up in the morning and go to work”, the Union would be secure. Setting aside the fact that this benefit has been largely phased out and replaced with the Personal Independence Payment scheme, it’s the underlying assumptions that are deeply concerning.
Demonising and vilifying disabled people by regurgitating damaging stereotypes is disgraceful. Living with unrelenting pain and trauma is not to be empathised with but presented as a gateway to an easy life. Given the overwhelmingly negative experiences that armed forces veterans have with the benefits system, one would have hoped that he might have known better.
If you are in any doubt about who Collins actually is and what he stands for, may I refer you to his recent multi-part contribution to a podcast called ‘Defence Review UK’.
Collins shares his opinions on today’s “woke army”, amongst other things, and describes himself as an “independent unity candidate” for the UUP. What does this actually mean? He pontificates on a wide range of subjects such as devolution, education, Brexit and the EU.
Doug Beattie does not seem to realise that by handing Tim Collins a prominent role in the general election campaign, he discredits himself and his party. Many UUP activists and members crave meaningful change
According to the “legendary” commander, the Alliance party have swung to the left and are a now a nationalist party. The fact that for the most part he has not even a passing acquaintance with the facts doesn’t appear to faze him or constrain his musings. He advises listeners to disregard the BBC’s political assessments as they are “sniffing things that they shouldn’t” and are in dire need of someone to “sit down and explain things” to them”. Presumably him.
He helpfully informs us, if elected, he would spend time in Westminster speaking to people and “being nice” to them. He would also spend a lot of time in Brussels speaking to European politicians and advising them to “bury the hatchet” and to “wise up”. Apparently after Brexit, 80% of all EU checks are carried out on the 380-mile Irish land border. Words fail me. I don’t know how we have managed without the benefit of his wisdom and insights. The hubris and lack of self-awareness is staggering.
Beattie does not seem to realise that by handing Collins a prominent role in the general election campaign, he discredits himself and his party. Many UUP activists and members crave meaningful change.
The party is riddled with contradictions. Can it modernise? In what way is this promoting progressive unionism? The selection of Collins will do little to help beleaguered unionists think that Doug is a credible leader. It is preposterous to say Collins has misrepresented himself.
I completely understand the attraction of celebrity. In theory a little bit of star dust can attract voters. Fame is power, but you have to use it wisely.
The first step in persuasion is convincing people that you understand their lives and concerns. This army officer is a very tough sell. Selecting Timmy Mallett over Tim Collins would have been a wiser move.
