‘Not a simple place to do government’

STEPHEN Brimstone told the RHI inquiry yesterday that he wouldn’t go “anywhere near” the RHI scheme if he had to live the past few years all over again.

He said that “everyone will make mistakes but no-one wants to see their name on the front page of a paper, getting accused of ripping something off ”.

“The belief that ministerial advisers are “a band of individuals just going and doing as we please couldn’t be further from the truth,” he continued. He agreed with the Inquiry panel that there should be greater transparency about how special advisers work.

Mr Brimstone added: “I don’t think anyone really realises what individuals have to go through at times in this country in order to bring a period of stable government. Northern Ireland is not a simple place to do government. Significant brokerage has to be done behind the scenes between the DUP and Sinn Fein over even the smallest document.”

Inquiry chair Sir Patrick Coghlin said that one of the first things that needs to be looked at if devolution returns are the rules on appointing and disciplining for ministerial advisers.

Asked about the hierarchy of ‘Spads’, Mr Brimstone said: “DUP ministerial advisers worked as a team... as equals.” But he added that messages from those serving the first minister had “additional weight” because they were working in the Executive’s top office.

Sir Patrick said that amounted to a “hierarchy” and that a first minister’s adviser “did have priority in whatever he or she was saying”.

Another former DUP Spad, Timothy Cairns, previously told the Inquiry “everyone within the party knew that Timothy Johnston was at the top of the tree”.

Sir Patrick said: “I think its very difficult for anyone to maintain that Timothy Johnston did not occupy a particular status.”