News

More revelations about Stormont speaker Robin Newton's Charter NI links

Assembly speaker Robin Newton addressing Charter NI's volunteer celebration in June.
Assembly speaker Robin Newton addressing Charter NI's volunteer celebration in June. Assembly speaker Robin Newton addressing Charter NI's volunteer celebration in June.

STORMONT speaker Robin Newton is "actively reviewing" his constituency work after it emerged that he proposed giving Charter NI almost £90,000 of charity cash.

The East Belfast MLA's links to the company headed by UDA commander Dee Stitt have been in the spotlight since it emerged that Mr Newton gave advice to Charter NI.

Stormont's Social Investment Fund (SIF) awarded Charter NI £1.7m for an employability scheme.

The Irish News highlighted Stitt's paramilitary links last month after he was photographed alongside First Minister Arlene Foster. Outrage at the Charter NI funding intensified following an interview with the Guardian in which the north Down UDA commander delivered a foul-mouthed tirade against the British government and referred to a loyalist flute band as "our homeland security",

Stormont's speaker, Mr Newton gave advice to Charter NI, sat in on its board meetings and attended the group's volunteer celebration in June this year but failed to declare any of these activities on the assembly's register of interests. He also sat on the SIF steering group which recommended where its money should be spent.

Last week Mr Newton was forced to apologise to the assembly for failing publicise his links to Charter NI when ruling against an urgent debate on its funding. As speaker he had rejected an urgent oral question request from SDLP MLA Nichola Mallon relating to the group.

The SDLP has referred the speaker to Stormont's standards watchdog and requested "an urgent investigation into his declarations of interest, or lack thereof, in relation to Charter NI".

In the latest revelation, reported by the News Letter, Mr Newton argued that £90,000 in the Police Property Fund be redirected to Charter NI.

The assembly speaker argued on behalf of Charter NI alongside former GAA official Ryan Feeney, while both sat on a Policing Board subgroup tasked with seeing if the funds could be used more effectively.

The police cash in question includes money seized during investigations and this was normally divided among the Police Community Safety Partnerships.

The subgroup subsequently produced a report in which it proposed the money should go to a project overseen by Charter NI.

The report cited a submission from Charter NI, though according to the News Letter, it was unclear how the group knew about the PSNI fund and the discussion about using the money more effectively.

The subgroup argued that the Charter NI initiative would "secure confidence in policing" and it proposed hearing first hand from Stitt about "the progress and development of the project".

In the assembly yesterday, SDLP MLA Alex Attwood asked the speaker whether he planned to review last week's statement in light of the latest revelation.

"A panel of two people brought a proposal to the Policing Board whereby Charter NI would have received money to run a pilot scheme," Mr Attwood said.

"It is not clear how Charter NI had knowledge of the work of the panel or how it was recommended for that pilot."

Mr Newton responded: "I am actively reviewing my constituency interests with the speaker's office, in line with the cautious approach that I outlined last week.

"I made the statement last week in recognition of the fact that I am now in a different role."