Alex Kane (August 27) argues that the current DUP leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, needs strong polling if he is to enter the next NI Assembly elections with any confidence.
LucidTalk’s poll results published the following day has Sinn Féin on a solid 25 per cent, while the DUP’s polling has collapsed to 13 per cent alongside the SDLP and Alliance, with the UUP now in second place with 16 per cent.
It appears that in spite of the vast powers of patronage available to him, the DUP leader has to date been unable to persuade any of his party’s MLAs to step aside to allow him to enter Stormont, which makes him look weak.
The DUP leader’s announcement that he is to contest those elections in his Lagan Valley constituency led to one of the current MLAs in that constituency suggesting that the resultant Westminster by-election could be held on the same day as assembly elections, which exposes a quandary faced by Donaldson.
If he resigns his Westminster seat to contest the assembly elections it’s all or nothing – he has to win.
If he doesn’t resign his Westminster seat to contest assembly elections then he will be accused by his opponents of running scared.
The only obvious alternative then is for the DUP leader to negotiate an electoral pact with the UUP wherein its deputy leader stands aside in Lagan Valley to give Donaldson a clear run. That’s a big ask.
Moreover, with the TUV polling 14 per cent to rank it in third place, the party’s Lagan Valley candidate, Sam Morrison, could argue that he is well-placed to take a seat there.
Would the TUV settle for a three-party electoral pact when polling at this level could instead see the party ready to flex its political muscles?
The TUV leader’s current campaign against the Protocol looks uncannily like he’s already kicked-off his party’s NI Assembly election campaign, and, while Jon Tonge has already written off the party’s prospects, one suspects that he is on a roll that could deliver extra seats for his party.
If the TUV step aside in Lagan Valley they will demand a high price elsewhere.
Should the DUP leader want a ‘hail Mary’ play that could deliver results then he might persuade the party’s partners in government at Stormont that as it remains in the European Union Single Market, and is technically and – presumably – legally a Member State of the EU, then (as the rump of the UK in the EU) Northern Ireland inherits the UK’s representation at the Council of Ministers, European Parliament and European Commission.
If we’re going to remain in the EU then let’s maximise our power and influence there.
DR BERNARD MULHOLLAND
Belfast BT9
We cannot save ourselves
In response to Mary Kelly’s views (August 28) on the Scriptures she heard at Mass, on the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (August 22), a quote attributed to St Augustine comes to mind: “If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you do not like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”
The Gospel, which is the Word of Christ, saves our souls. We cannot save ourselves. Only the grace of God can help us to eternal life. The Church’s message on many modern issues may be unpopular and, indeed, rejected by the majority. That is neither here nor there.
“Preach the Word”, says St Paul,”in season and out of season and, welcome or unwelcome, insist upon it” (II Timothy 4:2).
Even if 99.9 per cent of people reject the teachings of Christ, it does not alter one iota the saving Truth contained in His Word. Neither does it matter that the Church becomes very small. God has always worked through a faithful remnant (Jeremiah 42:2).
On Calvary there were three groups of people – those who hated the Lord and wanted His death; those who were there to watch and did not particularly care about Him (the majority) and, finally, His Blessed Mother and three others.
There were only four faithful souls present with Him at the redemption of the world. So we are not perturbed in the slightest that our numbers are small, that we are ‘unpopular’ and rejected in this current culture.
The Lord Jesus Christ is not a ‘crowd pleaser’. He was willing, when He was rejected at Capernaum, to lose all of His followers. He did not compromise on the truth of His teaching (John 6:60-69). Neither will we who love and serve Him today.
He once said, “when the Son of Man comes will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8). Whether the world believes in Him or not, whether it accepts Him or not, He will still come to rule the world with justice and all peoples with His truth (Psalm 96:13).
All of us shall give an account of ourselves to Him when we leave this earth (Romans 14:12). Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Luke 8:8).
FR PATRICK McCAFFERTY
Belfast BT12
Vaccine concerns
In certain ancient societies it was commonplace to attack the messenger if the message was unpopular. That’s a long time ago now, but the more things change the more they remain the same. In the stampede to attack Dr Anne McCloskey (August 25), the crucial point of her message was ignored. Dr McCloskey said that a teenage girl with a blood clot in her upper arm had recently attended her out-of-hours clinic. The young lady, previously healthy and fit, had developed the clot in the first week after her second Covid vaccine. Earlier this year, several European countries temporarily suspended the Astra Zeneca vaccine because of links to blood clotting. The rollout of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was halted for the same reason in the US. Therefore, it was entirely logical for Dr McCloskey to suspect these symptoms may be vaccine related but instead of addressing her concerns, they were quickly brushed under the carpet. Censorship of this kind will only deter other doctors reporting similar problems.
In 40 years of medicine, Dr McCloskey said she never previously encountered a blood clot in the upper arm of a healthy young person. When a doctor with her wealth of experience says this, it just has to be taken seriously.
PATRICK McGINNITY
Derrynoose, Co Armagh
Successful NSPCC book campaign
I’d like to extend my huge appreciation to every individual who supported a rather special crowd funding campaign for the children’s charity NSPCC – helping it to launch its first children’s book.
Pantosaurus and the Power of PANTS is based on the charity’s Talk PANTS campaign that many nursery and primary school aged children across Northern Ireland will be familiar with, not least because of the friendly yellow dinosaur Pantosaurus.
The book will help families start simple and age-appropriate conversations with their children to help keep them safe from sexual abuse and I’m delighted it’s been published.
Making sure that all children have the vital language that they need to speak out to a trusted adult if they ever have a worry or concern is so important, particularly when NSPCC research suggests that 1 in 20 children in the UK have been sexually abused.
The money raised from the sale of the book will help enable the NSPCC to continue to be here for children across Northern Ireland.
MARGARET GALLAGHER
NSPCC Northern Ireland
Clarification
The letter titled ‘United Ireland is inevitable’ (September 6) was wrongly attributed to Kieran Gribbin. The writer’s name was Aidan Gribbin, Castledawson,
Co Derry
