Northern Ireland

Hardline group urges bonfire scheme boycott

A threatening poster recently put up in Cookstown
A threatening poster recently put up in Cookstown A threatening poster recently put up in Cookstown

A hardline unionist forum has urged loyalists to boycott a bonfire licensing scheme planned for Mid-Ulster.

The British Truth Forum (BTF) spoke out after Mid Ulster District Council voted to introduce the disputed scheme earlier this year.

On Wednesday the Irish News revealed that a draft bonfire policy will require pyre builders to take out their own public liability insurance and adhere to strict health and safety regulations.

The draft policy is expected to go before full council for approval in the coming weeks.

The bonfire blueprint has caused anger in unionist circles.

In recent weeks threatening posters directed at the council have gone up in loyalist areas across Mid Ulster.

The BTF has now entered the row claiming the council has worked around the “statutory requirement for an equality impact assessment”.

Forum chairman William Lennox said: “Their attacks on Unionist culture expression zones are simply the latest front in an ever expanding cultural war.”

The spokesman urged unionists not to take part in the scheme.

“The unionist community must take a lesson from history,” he said.

“The way to defeat such regulatory schemes is to refuse to consent to be governed by them.

“If unionism had never engaged with the Parades Commission then regulatory framework would have been rendered unworkable and broken.

“Once you consent to be bound by such schemes once you will forever be under their jackboot.”

Mr Lennox said that his personal view is that “no British subject should have any contact with MUDC (Mid Ulster District Council) and have nothing to do with this scheme”.

A spokeswoman for Mid Ulster District Council said: “The draft bonfire management policy, which is available on our web site and will open for public consultation from June 4, has been subject to equality screening and the detail of the screening document has been published along with the policy.”

The BTF came to prominence after Mid Ulster council removed a Union flag and pole in Magherafelt as part of public realm work carried out in the area in 2016.

Last year it called for a Christmas tree located in the centre of Magherafelt to be removed as it might offend non-Christians.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew has voiced anger after a bilingual road sign owned by Mid Ulster District Council was vandalised outside Caledon in Co Tyrone.

"Occurrences like this bring into focus the need for protection of Irish Language rights through Acht na Gaeilge,” he said.

It is understood a second sign in the Eglish area of Co Tyrone was also damaged in recent days.

A council spokeswoman last night said it will “clean and repair the sign as required”.