Debate contribution: Exclusion of the First Minister from Office under Section 30 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998
Debate contribution by Mr Jonathan Buckley on .
- MLA
- Mr Jonathan Buckley
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 12 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Assembly Business
- Heading
- Exclusion of the First Minister from Office under Section 30 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5786644
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The past two weeks have seen an abject failure of political leadership from Sinn Féin. What do I mean by that? At a time when leadership requires responsibility, sound judgement, integrity and respect for the rule of law, we have seen, even today, exactly how Sinn Féin ticks. The genesis of today's debate may be a parade, but it is about much more: it is about the rule of law. It is about those who feel that they are above it and those who feel that they are not accountable to it: "Do as I say, not as I do". The other part of today's debate that will, I know, not be lost on my constituents or on the vast majority of the people of Northern Ireland, having listened to the speeches from Sinn Féin Members so far, is the breathtaking level of arrogance on display. Pat Sheehan, of all people — a man who carried out the cash-and-carry bombing and was a political prisoner and a terrorist — is lecturing Members across the House and is sniggering and laughing, and that will not go unnoticed. Misleading the House is a serious offence, but a fraudulent First Minister telling what would appear to be blatant lies to the people of Northern Ireland is quite a different thing. We have heard words from the First Minister today. Let us judge her on her words as First Minister. Let us judge her on the words that she spoke on her first day in office:
"To all of you who are British and unionist, I say this: your national identity, your cultures, your traditions are important to me."
She continued:
"I will be inclusive and respectful to you all. None of us"—
this is the First Minister talking —
"is being asked to surrender who we are. Our allegiances are equally legitimate. Let us walk this two-way street together; let us meet one another halfway. — [Official Report (Hansard), 3 February 2024, p15, col 2]."
Those are snake-oiled, hollow words from a First Minister who could not even tolerate 35 Orangemen walking in silence, with no music, at 8.00 am on a Sunday morning. First Minister, those are fraudulent words; honeyed words. Your new Ireland project stands dead on the street in Portadown. You may talk about a shared society, but you do not want an Orangeman or a unionist about the place. That is quite clear by your rhetoric here today. Remember the words that she said:
"Let us walk this ... street together; let us meet one another halfway."
The same lady was on the street calling the Orange march a sectarian hate march. Another member said that the Orange Order is akin to the Ku Klux Klan. It is beyond disgraceful to say that about people whom you once proclaimed were your neighbours. They do not seek domination or triumphalism: they seek accommodation. A First Minister who cannot accommodate 35 Orangemen —.
I can tell that she is prickled by this. She is prickled because she knows that the mask has slipped. The honeyed words of the First Minister have not met the litmus test at the first hurdle. My word, this First Minister stands exposed. When I talk about the nationalist citizens on the Garvaghy Road, I will proudly say that they are my neighbours. I respect them; I live beside them; I have interacted with them on many occasions; and I know their distaste and distrust of members of Sinn Féin.
I will say this, Mr O'Dowd — you did not give way — a Sinn Féin councillor had a death threat today, and I condemn that in the strongest possible terms. Let those responsible be prosecuted through the law and by the police. Did anybody hear one single word of criticism from any of the Sinn Féin Members about the fact that my colleague Carla Lockhart has had death threats and faced an online mob stirred up by the Members opposite? There has not been one word today, because it does not suit the narrative. They would rather whip up the mob against Carla Lockhart and the DUP when we know fine well that the objective for Sinn Féin is clear: stoke division and put fear at the heart of its electorate. Why?
I notice that they are intervening now. Why? It is because Sinn Féin has fundamentally failed its people time and time again. Uncontrolled illegal immigration: you were the cheerleaders. Woke policies: you are the cheerleaders. You could not be further from what genuine nationalist citizens believe when it comes to common sense, yet you come to the Chamber today to shout in arrogance.
The rule of law matters. The First Minister also signed the ministerial code on her first day — the Pledge of Office — and it will be interesting to see what the Alliance Party does when it comes to the rule of law. When we look at the Pledge of Office, I can identify where the First Minister has fallen short in at least 13 out of the 19 paragraphs.
Paragraph 6 — I do not need a law degree, Mr O'Dowd. The paper is sitting in front of me. Let us judge them on its words:
"We believe that the essential elements of support for law and order include endorsing fully the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the criminal justice system, actively encouraging everyone in the community",
"to co-operate fully with the PSNI in tackling crime".
Members, I am being shouted down. Why?
Why am I being shouted down?
930 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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