Member's statement: United States: Ulster-Scots Links
Member's statement by Mr David Brooks on .
- MLA
- Mr David Brooks
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 11 November 2024
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- United States: Ulster-Scots Links
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4667097
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I congratulate President-elect Donald Trump and his Vice President-elect JD Vance on their remarkable election victory in the United States. There is a spectrum of political views in this place. It is no surprise that there are differences of opinion on international affairs. Just as I congratulated the incumbent president in Belfast City Hall after his election, despite some questionable remarks and political differences with unionism, I, today, heartily welcome the return of President Trump. As ever, I look forward to continuing to build strong relationships for unionism and Northern Ireland on both sides of the aisle, as ever, but particularly with the incoming Trump team, knowing that, in his first term, his ears and his door were open and he was more balanced in his approach and more open to hearing unionist concerns and priorities than many Administrations in my lifetime. The roots that bind our people run long, deep and strong. I hope that, in the coming presidential term, we are able to cultivate still stronger ties and transatlantic cooperation economically and culturally. As we approach the 250th anniversary of US independence, we recall the trans-generational, transatlantic journeys of the Ulster-Scots people. As we work to reawaken awareness of the Ulster-Scots diaspora and the Ulster-Scots role in founding and shaping the United States, it is exciting to have a prominent and eloquent Scotch-Irish Vice President-elect in JD Vance, who is aware of and takes pride in his Scotch-Irish lineage. Over centuries, waves of Scotch-Irish immigrants have left these shores to build new lives in America, bringing with them the values of hard work and resilience and a fierce dedication to freedom and democracy. Those people and communities today face challenges, as we do at home, but many of the pioneers helped to shape America's frontier, laying the groundwork for the vibrant nation that it is today. Vice President-elect Vance's Scotch-Irish heritage is a proud reminder of that legacy, a heritage shared by many past presidents and a testament to the lasting influence of those who came from Northern Ireland and travelled along the great wagon road on the spirit and character of the United States.
Today is Armistice Day. Yesterday, I stood at the memorial at the former US military cemetery at Lisnabreeny, as I do each year, to remember not only our servicemen but our allies. Young Americans prepared there to launch the famed allied attacks on the beaches of Nazi-occupied France. They, by the way, knew what a real Nazi was: American forefathers fought them alongside ours, looked them in the eyes and liberated victims from their genocidal jackboot. That may be what the Member for South Antrim referred to as "colonial wars" while forebears of his were found on Nazi U-boats. Our nations have stood side by side not only in world wars but in many conflicts since to defend the freedoms that we enjoy today. From the shores of France to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, from the Baltic to the deserts of Iraq, we will remember them. In contrast, Sinn Féin and the Irish republican movement —
514 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy
Jev’s structured answers met every documented threshold for flagging as culture-war activity.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.64 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- Criteria met: Identity framing (0.82); Dog-whistle messaging (0.67); Controversy escalation (0.66).
- The text adopts the identity-based framing in its own voice (0.87).
- Subject area: Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy.
- The text adopts an antagonistic or dog-whistle framing, which is flagged even alongside legitimate scrutiny.
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 | 0.82 | Yes |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.32 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.11 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.67 | Yes |
| Controversy escalation | 0.66 | Yes |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.06 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.64 | Between thresholds |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.12 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.01 |
| Adopts it (chosen) | 0.87 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.52 |
| Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers | 0.30 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.08 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.07 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.02 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:32 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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