Member's statement: Royal British Legion: North Down
Member's statement by Mr Peter Martin on .
- MLA
- Mr Peter Martin
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 5 November 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Royal British Legion: North Down
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4631462
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I will highlight the work of the north Down Royal British Legion (RBL) in organising events across the borough every year to remember the fallen. In particular, I mention Harry Ferran and George Hoy. I also pay tribute to the work of the Groomsport remembrance committee and, in particular, the very faithful and dedicated Alan Hay, who is the power behind the event every year. Alan organises the parade, gets volunteers and liaises with council staff and the RBL to make sure that the event happens. When you ask soldiers who are entering a conflict situation from which they may not return whether they want recognition, medals or promotion, the answer is the same: all they want, if they fall on the field of battle, is to be remembered. That is what this week is all about: remembering the fallen. It is immortalised in the Kohima epitaph:
"When you go home Tell them of us and say For your tomorrow We gave our today."
I know that, for some in the Chamber, the poppy is a divisive symbol, and, as I look across the Benches this morning, I see that some Members are wearing it and some are not. However, the poppy remembers all those who died to afford us the democracy that we enjoy in the Chamber today. Hundreds of thousands of British soldiers died fighting a dictator 80 years ago. As we stood alone in a Europe that had fallen, we said to Hitler, "Not on our watch". For me, there is something unique about the poppy. It does not care whether you vote for the Ulster Unionists or the SDLP or about the colour of your skin. It does not recognise where you worship, whether that is in a synagogue or a chapel. It disregards your sexual orientation and ignores the size of your bank account. Giving poppies to our children in Remembrance Week is a yearly ritual in our house. Given the rough and tumble of the playground, they rarely return with them. I will tell Members how I explained to Zach, our youngest, who was six at the time, what the poppy means. It means that you do not forget soldiers who died for you.
370 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.16 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.79).
- Subject area: Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.16 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.16 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.07 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.27 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.05 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.16 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.79 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.12 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.08 |
| Adopts it | 0.01 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.73 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.16 |
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.05 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.03 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.02 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:30 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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