While the DUP's Sammy Wilson was entirely wrong to call a rival MLA a `thug' during a Stormont committee meeting, the episode distracted attention from a much more important issue over the party's treatment of one of its own members.
Lisburn councillor Jenny Palmer was effectively forced out of the DUP last month after she courageously went public over the blatant attempts to pressurise her into changing her vote at a crucial meeting of the Housing Executive.
When the Assembly's social development committee attempted to consider the matter, Mr Wilson suddenly hurled the insult which resulted in a finding that he had broken the Stormont code of conduct.
Mr Wilson insisted yesterday that he would not be apologising to the TUV leader Jim Allister over his comment, but the person who really deserves a statement of regret from the DUP remains Ms Palmer.
