It is unusual for a government official to publicly rebuke a minister in the Stormont administration as happened yesterday when the Chief Medical Officer said there was no evidence to support claims by DUP Agricultural Minister Edwin Poots that the virus was spreading at a ratio of six to one in nationalist areas as opposed to unionist areas.
r Michael McBride could not have been more unequivocal, insisting there is no evidence to suggest the pandemic is not affecting all sections of society in Northern Ireland equally. His frustration at the controversy stirred up by Mr Poots – which has led to other parties accusing him of sectarianising the pandemic – was clear. It should go without saying in an educated western democracy in the second millennium that Covid-19 pays no head to people’s political affiliation or religion just as it does not respect political or geographic boundaries.
There is no doubt that Mr Poots is an influential figure in a section of the DUP which may explain why some members have been keen to emphasise that debate on the pandemic is healthy. It is true that freedom of speech should be defended but when the comments coming from someone of the stature of Mr Poots are patently wrong, and are slapped down by the Chief Medical Officer, surely the DUP leadership should make public its displeasure at their minister.
After all, Mr Poots was at the Executive table when the latest round of restrictions were announced and the five parties, including Mr Poots, signed up to a common message. His subsequent claims and questioning of the effectiveness of new restrictions undermines that common approach. There have been calls for the minister to reconsider his position but that is an attitude which is foreign to most local politicians. He could resign just as any one of us could win the lottery – it might happen but the odds against are astronomical.
Meanwhile, there are some green shoots of hope as the transmission levels in the Derry City/Strabane council area – once the worst in the UK – have shown signs of stabilising or even declining marginally.
The next four weeks are vital in curbing the spread of the virus and it is important that vital health messages are not undermined by careless talk which deflects from the real task in hand. All sections of society need to be protected from the virus and everyone can play their part by following the fundamental precautions of washing their hands, observing social distancing, wearing a mask … and keeping their mouths shut.
Belfast Telegraph
