Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been branded a ‘war monger’ by a DUP representative who says the PM is more keen to support the Ukrainian army than poor Northern Ireland pensioners.
The claims were made when a Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) emergency council motion on the cuts to winter fuel payments descended in to a chamber row on the right to speak.
Slieve Gullion Sinn Fein rep, Aoife Finnegan brought forward the motion to highlight the council’s concerns on winter fuel cuts to the elderly and to ask DUP Minister of Communities Gordon Lyons to prioritise anti-poverty and fuel poverty strategies.
However, the debate flared when Mournes DUP councillor Henry Reilly reacted to SDLP chairman Pete Byrne’s attempts to “dictate” the chamber debate.
Cllr Reilly said: “I think a lot of people thought whenever a UK socialist government was voted in with such a massive majority, that they would try and improve the lot of the ordinary people. But, what we have seen is just unbelievable.
“We have seen Starmer turn in to a war monger, promising Ukraine billions of pounds every year for the next 100 years, he says. From the UK to fight a war with Russia.
“Then we’ve got illegal immigration costing £5bn a year, just on accommodation. And whenever the UK people say, we’re concerned about this, you’re branded far right, you’re a bigot.”
NMDDC chair Cllr Byrne then intervened to tell Cllr Reilly to “keep to the motion”.
The DUP rep responded: “You are there to chair the motion, not to dictate to me and I will not allow you to dictate, just you watch your mannerisms in this chamber chairman or I’ll be very concerned that I may have to do a report on you.
“You can’t dictate to people what they can say in this chamber, if it is legal. And what I am saying is completely legal and relevant to what is going on.
“The people who built this country from the ground up over the last 60 or 80 years, they are being denied a cold weather payment, while people who never paid into the system here are being taken and put in accommodation and costing more than the annual fuel allowance for the whole of the UK.
“The thing about it is, it is just sickening to be branded far right when you have legitimate concerns, that’s what I am getting across. And Starmer and this government have to start listening to the ordinary people.
“The Republic of Ireland has a cold weather scheme, but it is very heavily means tested. But, if you do qualify you are well looked after.
“You are a very dictatorial chairman, and you have to remember a council chamber is a place where people are allowed to express themselves. Your views and opinions and the people you represent. It’s not an SDLP playpen, where you try and suppress the views of other people who hold different views to you. You have to reflect all the views of the community.
“If a country is nearly bust, as Starmer is saying the UK is, I for one would not mind losing my cold weather payment if it was going to go to someone who really, genuinely needs it.
“But, there’s not very much the NI Executive can do when we are being told the system is short of money.”
Chairperson Byrne added: “Just to make it very clear. We had to suspend standing orders to hear this emergency motion, that is extremely important and I want to keep the debate on the motion.
“That is the simple point I make and I will make it to any councillor in this chamber. If it is not linked to it, I have to step in.”
Responsibility over the cuts to the winter fuel payments witnessed other members exchanging political points.
During the debate Sinn Fein and SDLP reps exchanged barbs over one party not taking seats at Westminster and the other being the sister party to the Labour government.
Though at the end, a proposal from Downpatrick SDLP rep, Gareth Sharvin was also agreed as an added amendment to also write to all the NI Executive parties to “find a solution”.
