It has largely gone unnoticed, perhaps because of the current crisis threatening every one of us, but it will undoubtedly be resurrected sometime in the future – it may well be the most serious political blunder of his career.
Colum Eastwood’s overly eager acceptance of British troops back on the roads and streets of the north has come as a massive shock to many – not least to the people of his native Derry. The nationalist people of Derry, and indeed the entire province, do not have fond memories of the British army’s presence here in the past. This is most certainly felt by the families of those murdered by the British Parachute Regiment on the streets of Derry.
If I thought that the deployment of the British army here could save even one life then I would have no problem whatsoever in supporting such a move. But Mr Eastwood has been too quick to jump in favour of Robin Swann’s individual decision to request this aid without any recourse to the executive. There was a meeting of the executive on the day that Robin Swann made the request but he failed to mention what he intended to do just a short few hours later.
Only Mr Swann can answer why this was the case. Did he know it would be controversial and maybe even divisive?
Currently we have dozens of freight companies and hundreds, if not thousands, of local lorry drivers out of work as a result of this pandemic.
These would appear to be the logical people to deliver the PPE around the province. They have the experience and the local geographical knowledge. They were not even considered by Mr Swann. Why?
Why did Colum Eastwood not stop and consider this?
One thing is for sure – his actions over this will not be forgotten. He may well have sold his political career down the river.
The people of Derry are good people but they will expect their political representatives to represent them.
SEAN SEELEY
Craigavon, Co Armagh
Why are farmers not included in government scheme?
I find it extraordinary that one of the most important businesses in this present crisis has been left thus far without any help from government. Why are farmers not included in this scheme?
The Department of Agriculture appears to be sleep walking into a food supply disaster where we could end up with food shortages in shops if the farming industry are left to go to the wall.
The Department of Agriculture has been painfully slow in reacting to this crisis.
I would appeal to Edwin Poots to step up to the wheel and claim the EU money that is available to help the farming community before it is too late. We need a multifaceted approach from the Department of Economy and the Department of Agriculture to try and overcome the crisis in this vital industry.
At a time when meat prices are going up in the supermarkets and shops, the farmers are having to endure massive cuts in prices by the factories. They have little or no access to money as the marts are mostly closed. This Small Business Scheme could be used as a lifeline for farmers.
Cllr SHEAMUS GREENE
Sinn Féin, Erne East
Health comes before wealth
Even though we are still living through the Covid-19 pandemic, there are some things that we have learned – whether you’re a prince, prime minister, young or old – this virus holds no boundaries.
Since the lockdown we have seen our environment becoming less polluted. People are much kinder and the professionalism and dedication of our National Health Service is outstanding.
As we enter a new world, governments must learn that people come first, that health comes before wealth. That greed will be of the past and we cherish all our peoples.
Like this deadly virus, we will live in a world where all of us will be equal.
JIM BOYLAN
Warrenpoint, Co Down
Left-wing arrogance
Columnist Mary Kelly (April 11) referred to “the many nutters in America who have their own private zoos full of demented and overweight wild animals”. She then went on to suppose that these people are all Trump voters. How very witty.
This is straight from the left-wing catechism which teaches that all Trump voters are thick, ignorant, stupid, ugly, red-necked racists. On the next page substitute Boris for Trump and on the page after that put in Brexit voters. Ms Kelly has obviously not yet caught on to what more astute commentators observed at the time – that such supercilious left-wing arrogance is what persuaded a lot of people to vote in the way that so very obviously offends her.
C MURRAY
Belfast BT11
Is Sinn Féin misleading the public?
Sinn Féin has made much in the past about its representatives and activists only accepting the average industrial wage.
In 2018, for instance, Sinn Féin insisted that all its MLAs only accepted £28,480 before tax from their salaries, amounting to about £431 per week take home pay. However, in February this year, Mary Lou McDonald admitted that Sinn Féin TD’s have been accepting their full salary, which currently amounts to about €96,000 for the last five years.
They can contribute up to €2,500 from that to the party which is the maximum legally allowable.
Are we to accept that Sinn Féin-elected representatives south of the border are able/allowed to earn far more than the party’s counterparts north of the border, or should we just accept that this is just another example of Sinn Féin attempting to mislead the public and in particular its own support base?
SEAN O’FIACH
Belfast BT11
