Wells facing Stormont exclusion vote

Published Wednesday, 14 November 2012

MLAs will decide next week whether the DUP's Jim Wells should be excluded from Stormont over comments he made to the Sinn Féin Culture Minister and her former special adviser.

Jim Wells has not apologised for the comments he made about Mary McArdle. (© Pacemaker)

Mr Wells made the comments last year in the corridors of Stormont after the appointment of Mary McArdle, who was jailed for life for her part in the murder of a school teacher in 1984.

Mary Travers, 22, was fatally shot by IRA gunmen as she left Mass in Belfast, with her father, a judge.

Ms McArdle was released from prison under the Good Friday Agreement, and later appointed as special adviser to Carál Ní Chuilín.

But the move created controversy for the party, when the victim's sister spoke out saying she was disgusted at Ms McArdle's new role.

Mr Wells refused to apologise for his comments and the former assembly standards commissioner upheld complaints made against the MLA.

A vote will take place next week, but Unionists, who hold a majority in the Assembly, are likely to rally against the exclusion.

Comments

7 Comments

Linda in NI wrote (185 days ago):

Jim Wells is being condemned for holding terrorists in comtempt and he could be expelled from Stormont for saying so yet SF are untouchable and there is no restriction in Stormont for them! Perhaps someday SF and their supporters will come to realise that although they have a mandate from some within their community they do not have the overall support from the vast majority of voters/non voters. Yes lets move on and that includes no more whataboutery from anyone and no more talk or calls for public enquires

William in Killyleagh wrote (185 days ago):

Jim should be commended for confronting this provo she should never have been employed at stormont in the first place.Keep up the good work Jim

strabane in strabane wrote (185 days ago):

some times if u cant say something nice dont say anything ate all no bodie expects them 2 like each other just 2 work 2 gether like it or not this is who each side voted in year after year and probably for a long time 2 come

Ryan in Belfast wrote (186 days ago):

Mr Wells is in goverment with Sinn Fein and he knows that many of Sinn Feins democratically elected MLA's were ex-political prisoners, so why did he pass abusive comments at an appointed special adviser while he knows full well the history behind SF and yet he agreed with the DUP going into goverment with SF? If he doesnt agree with exprisoners having any role in goverment then he shouldve did what Jim Allister did and leave the DUP. The past is the past. The DUP are not lily white, they have a past of their own but being in goverment is not about being abusive and digging up the past, its about serving the whole community to the best of your ability.

Mike in Belfast wrote (186 days ago):

Time to get these bitter old men out of politics and vote in some fresh faces with new ideas and a sense of what's important for the country.

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