Member's statement: Samaritans: Brew Monday 2025
Member's statement by Mr Robbie Butler on .
- MLA
- Mr Robbie Butler
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 20 January 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Samaritans: Brew Monday 2025
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4744153
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Members, today, I ask you to join me in helping to flip Blue Monday on its head by working with the Samaritans to rebrand it Brew Monday, a day not for misery but for mugs, chats and connecting over a good old-fashioned cup of tea, however you drink it. I know that many will rightly ask this question: "Can a cup of tea really fix all the problems in my life?" Probably not, but it is a great start. After all, nobody ever solved life's big questions with an empty mug in their hand. Brew Monday is about taking time to talk and, more importantly, taking time to listen. The Samaritans — those incredible lifesavers who sit with headsets on — remind us that sometimes the greatest gift that we can give is not advice but a few moments of our time and the comfort of our presence. Let us face it: we have all been there, staring at a teabag wondering whether it is safe to reuse. That is just an analogy for what our problems sometimes look like. This is not about being perfect or having all the answers; it is about showing up for one another. The Samaritans know that better than anyone, and they offer a listening ear 24/7, 365 days a year with no judgement and no rush. Let us make Brew Monday a reminder that life might not come with a manual, but it does come with tea, and, sometimes, it is good to share it.
252 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: 0.02 (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 (1.00).
- 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 | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.06 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.55 |
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.44 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:46 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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