Debate contribution: Exclusion of the Minister of Education from Office
Debate contribution by Mr Phillip Brett on .
- MLA
- Mr Phillip Brett
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 10 November 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Assembly Business
- Heading
- Exclusion of the Minister of Education from Office
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5224282
Read the official Assembly record
Text
We have heard a lot of lofty words in the Chamber this afternoon about integrity, accountability and leadership, but let us be honest: that is not what the motion is about. It is about political opportunism but, more importantly, rank hypocrisy from parties who want to hold everyone else to a standard that they will not follow themselves. Let us start with the party opposite. The Assembly unanimously passed a motion of censure against Ministers who, during the COVID pandemic, put a Provo show of strength ahead of a public health message. That party's Members then sign a motion of no confidence in our Minister and think that we will take lectures from them. The only Minister in the history of this state to be found guilty of religious discrimination against a Protestant was a former Sinn Féin Minister. Where was your motion of no confidence then? It was nowhere to be seen. Two Sinn Féin Ministers and an SDLP Minister were in court for breaching the ministerial code when they attempted to remove a bonfire in north Belfast and heighten tensions. Where were your motions of no confidence then? They were nowhere to be seen. The very Minister who was found to have breached the ministerial code has, again, signed a motion of no confidence in our Minister. No lectures will be taken from those Benches. Then we have the Alliance Party, whose Members today said that they would support the motion. It is always claiming to be the party of the moral centre and preaching and lecturing to others. The Police Federation has a different view of the Alliance Party's ability, as it has publicly condemned an Alliance Minister for its failings. Let us not forget the Ulster Farmers' Union. The very people whom another Alliance Party Minister is meant to represent passed a unanimous vote of no confidence in that Minister.
I will happily give way.
How can a party that has lost the confidence of our Police Service, our justice system and our farmers come to the Chamber with a straight face and try to lecture us and then get into personal attacks on our deputy leader? Let me be very clear: my deputy leader will be returned without hesitation by the electorate of Northern Ireland at the next election. I am not quite sure that the same will be said for the deputy leader of the Alliance Party.
The SDLP, in its continued search for relevance, falls into line in behind Mr Carroll. We take our confidence from the people of Northern Ireland, who voted us into office to be joint head of government, unlike the SDLP, which was voted out of office, out of seats and into opposition because the people of Northern Ireland have no confidence in it whatsoever. I will not waste a huge amount of time on the proposer of the motion today, but it will not be lost on the people whom I represent that, when he had the opportunity to withdraw his antisemitic, disgraceful tweet, he did not take it. Thankfully, I know that, in 18 months' time, the electorate of West Belfast will pass verdict on Mr Carroll, and I look forward to welcoming an additional DUP Member to these Benches who will properly represent the people of West Belfast.
Mr Givan's record speaks for itself. Record pay settlement for teachers. Record pay for new teachers. The first time we have had a proper childcare support scheme. Bursaries for new teachers to ensure that the subjects that we want to see promoted are produced. A record number of SEN places. Also, he has been proven by the High Court to properly interpret legislation, unlike the Alliance Party, because its Bill and Act was found to be a nonsense. This party has confidence in Mr Givan. Our party leader has confidence in Mr Givan. The people of Northern Ireland have confidence in Mr Givan. He is not going anywhere. Get used to it.
664 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice)
Jev’s structured answers met every documented threshold for a qualifying culture-war activity.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.81 (qualifying needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not qualifying).
- Criteria met: Dog-whistle messaging (0.62); Controversy escalation (0.69).
- The text adopts the identity-based framing in its own voice (0.63).
- Subject area: Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice).
- All qualifying thresholds were met.
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 | 0.41 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.20 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.20 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.62 | Yes |
| Controversy escalation | 0.69 | Yes |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.08 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.81 | Above qualifying threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.19 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.18 |
| Adopts it (chosen) | 0.63 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.72 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.28 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:41 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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