Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TOTAL RECALL
Paisley keeps Westminster seat & returns to DUP Sinn Fein fury at ‘endorsement of MP’S actions’
IAN Paisley was readmitted to the DUP last night just hours after surviving a bid to force a by-election in his constituency.
The North Antrim MP was suspended following a critical report by the parliamentary watchdog over lobbying on behalf of Sri Lanka after accepting holidays from its government.
His readmittance to the party which his father helped found came after a petition failed to attract the support of 10% of his constituents – the number required to force a new poll.
Sinn Fein’s Stormont leader Michelle O’neill criticised the decision by the DUP as a “failure” and an “effective endorsement of his actions”.
The recall petition was initiated after Mr Paisley was suspended as an MP for 30 sitting days by the
House of Commons Committee on Standards.
It found a year after failing to declare the luxury holidays Mr Paisley lobbied Prime Minister David Cameron not to support a UN probe into alleged Sri
Lankan human rights abuses. Yesterday, a DUP spokesman said: “The internal processes surrounding these matters have been completed.
“On Tuesday 18th September Mr Paisley was readmitted to membership of the party following a suspension of 57 days and upon readmission he is subject to a number of conditions including a ban on holding office within the party for 12 months.
“The party will be making no further comment on these matters.”
But Mrs O’neill responded: “The DUP has effectively endorsed a gross lack of integrity in public office by accepting Ian Paisley back into the party with only a minor sanction.
“There was no hint of an apology from the DUP. Instead, he has been welcomed back into the DUP fold. That represents another failure on behalf of the DUP and is an effective endorsement of his actions.
“The DUP failed to take the appropriate action which would have been to sack Ian Paisley.”
Speaking yesterday morning, Mr Paisley said he wants to move on.
He added: “I was asked to make an apology, I gave that apology, and I believe that 90.6% of the electorate who had the opportunity to say, ‘We don’t accept that apology’, I believe they said, ‘We do accept that apology and we are prepared to move on’.
“I must say I am delighted with that, delighted with the unwavering support I have received from my constituents. Hallelujah. Hopefully now we can move on and get on with the real job I am elected to do.” Mr Paisley said he felt “humbled and privileged” and also hailed his family and “true friends” for sticking by him. He also revealed he has made three complaints to police over allegations electoral law was broken over the failed recall petition.
Chief electoral officer Virginia Mcvea has already warned Sinn Fein MLA Philip Mcguigan over a video he posted to social media.
Mr Mcguigan said he found the warning from Ms Mcvea “incredible”. He added: “I do not believe there was anything in the post that predicted the outcome of the petition.” Mr Paisley would have been ousted as an MP if 10% of the electorate in his constituency – 7,543 voters – signed the petition. In the event, 7,099 (9.4%) people put pen to paper.
The DUP has effectively endorsed a gross lack of integrity in public office MICHELLE O’NEILL YESTERDAY