Never one to shy away from controversy Sammy is at it again. I once encountered him once at a Q&A session at Queen’s and was impressed by his sharpness and handle on the issues. This sense appears to have deserted our environment minister in recent weeks. From foreign workers, and now to the very subject of his assembly portfolio he likes to be his own man. Northern Ireland’s environment minister has banned a UK government advertising campaign. Yes the unionist has turned against the Union he seeks to uphold. Sammy calls the advertising campaign on reducing CO2 output ‘insidious propaganda’. As someone who doesn’t believe that human causation is one of the main factors in climate change at least he is demonstrating some consistency. It seems ridiculous enough that our environment minister thinks this way, but why on earth appoint such a person to the post in the first place? I’ve never thought the DUP particularly well hinged but surely they can’t be so crazy? Enter party leader Peter Robinson, who told the NI assembly that Sammy was entitled to his opinions but that they did not reflect the party as a whole. Now Peter please stop talking such shite. The DUP in their manifesto and as official party policy are committed to reducing CO2 output, the very subject of the banned ads. So the DUP put someone in a post who even disagrees with their own policies in the portfolio he is given, never mind most of the other parties, and then defend him? The Green party and a host of others are calling for Sammy’s resignation. You can sign the petition here. At least Sammy is showing some integrity and not rapidly backtracking as many politicians do. The biggest question however is what sort of game are the DUP playing? Why go to such ridiculous lengths to defend Sammy their constant source of controversy? Surely they would be better off without him and all the flak he attracts, or perhaps that flak distracts from what the DUP is actually doing (or not doing s the case may be)?
the soapbox 