It seems RHI is the thorn in the DUP side with the findings of the renewable heat incentive enquiry not expected to be published until September it seems our thirst for answers continues.
The RHI scandal is the bane of the DUP’s existence with recent revelations indicating that the leaking of information to journalists by senior DUP figures during the height of the RHI scandal is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The questions now are how will they react and handle the outcome of the enquiry? With many of the DUP’s supporters asking themselves will this issue ever go away?
The DUP needs to realise very quickly that RHI is quite simply not going away anytime soon. Despite DUP attempts to whitewash the issue by boycotting the Stephen Nolan Show which for this writer seems completely ludicrous. The Nolan Show is the most watched and listened to political platform in Northern Ireland.
Whether you agree with Nolan or not it is an essential sounding board for our politicians to reach the masses and for the DUP to boycott it is a very big mistake. Picture The Nolan Show on a Wednesday night and all the political parties being represented and that one empty seat where the DUP should be sitting. This image will do more harm than good for the party.
Sammy Wilson believes the boycott is “the best way of hurting him.” However, Sammy is in the political game long enough to know that not being at such a table can be extremely damaging. Not being present at live TV debates will prevent the DUP from airing their opinions on certain issues and the current political minefield that is Brexit.
Nevertheless despite this if Arlene and co think that RHI can be swept under the carpet in a hope that it may just quietly go away then she is sorely mistaken.
It is of this writer’s opinion that we are only seeing the tip of the RHI iceberg. Like a kettle reaching boiling point I believe the RHI report, likely due in September, will be a damaging yet damning indictment of the Stormont establishment and the MLAs involved in what is one of the biggest scandals in Northern Ireland’s already dire political history – a scandal that isn’t going away anytime soon.
KEVIN McATEER
Newry, Co Down
In future Mr Dallat should think before rushing to print
If I had studied John Dallat’s letter – ‘Any Brexit decision by Britain affects not just Dublin and London’ (June 26) – before seeing his name I’d have bet good money it was from a strong unionist, which in part might explain the downfall of the SDLP whom I support.
John states we are living in a world where empires have long gone. Not true, the British empire still exists ie the Falklands, a very big stone in Gibraltar and a few other rocky outcrops scattered around the world’s seas and oceans prove that Britain’s tentacles stretched far and wide. John is living in part of the British empire – the occupied six counties of Ireland.
My suggestion would be think in future before rushing to print. He brings up the annexation of Crimea (by Russia) and its plundering. I am not aware of any plundering.
He ignores that Russia held a referendum of which 90 per cent plus voted to rejoin Russia, its natural homeland. Not one drop of blood spilt. He ignores the plight of the Palestinians at the hands of the Jewish state, ongoing blood being spilt daily. It is usually unionists who ignore the plight of Palestinians. He states 70 million people have been displaced by dictators in various parts of the world, and yes that is true, but they are actually calling themselves democratic – US, Israel, France and Britain.
PETER McEVOY
Banbridge, Co Down
Artificial border speak
I appreciate the new Chief Constable’s concern about a hard Brexit – ‘Chief constable’s Brexit warning’ (July 15) – but he would inspire more confidence if he showed more knowledge of his “beat”.
Despite his Cheshire background, Chief Constable Simon Byrne should know that it is really artificial and strained to speak, as he does in the fore mentioned article, about the many border crossings between ‘the two countries’. Surely, if he really understood the border, he would never speak like that? He would rather refer to the crossings between “the two jurisdictions”, between “North and South” or “between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland.”
Not even the most ardent local unionist on the border between Fermangh and Cavan would ever talk about “two countries” – unless he/she wanted to make a very politicised statement, which is something I hope the chief constable was not trying
to do.
Fr SEAN McMANUS
Washington DC
There are no politicians in middle ground
In future elections voters should treat the two main parties as they have treated us for nearly three years. They have ignored our needs. The electorate should remember this and in turn ignore them. They are not interested in governing, only in point-scoring. There are no politicians in the middle ground who could govern without the orange/green issues.
A new party Aontú should go from strength with the support of Catholics on account of its pro-life stance. In fact this is the only party Catholics can vote for.
There were suggestions they could vote for the DUP but they cannot support such an anti-Catholic party.
T KELLY
Draperstown, Co Derry
Brexit is least of our worries
Anyone involved in agriculture on the island of Ireland should have read Patrick Murphy’s article (July 6). If you did then Brexit or backstops should be the least of your worries.
What is coming down the track from the deal made by Europe and the four countries in South America, is surely staggering – 100,000 tons of beef and the same amount of chicken imported into the EEC annually.
Anyone who is thinking of investing in these enterprises would do well to think long and hard about it and avoid borrowing even small amounts of money. The dangers are there for all to see and this will have a crippling effect on the economy of Ireland, north and south. With farm incomes reduced dramatically it will have a domino effect on all business linked to agriculture and this will create massive unemployment.
TJ CARRAGHER
Cullyhanna, Co Armagh
