Debate contribution: Independent Review of the Liquor Licensing System, including the Surrender Principle
Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Carroll on .
- MLA
- Mr Gerry Carroll
- Party at the time
- People Before Profit Alliance
- Date
- 18 November 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Ministerial Statement
- Heading
- Independent Review of the Liquor Licensing System, including the Surrender Principle
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5244494
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you, Minister. I take your point about the dangers of alcohol — I know about them all too well — but I hope that you will take my point that people are being ripped off in most places when they buy a pint or a glass of wine. That is connected to the surrender principle but also to naked profiteering. What consideration have you given to Unite the union's Get Me Home Safely campaign, which places duties on employers that are connected to the granting of licences to ensure that staff — the 6,000 that you mentioned — get home safely, that taxis are paid for by employers and that there is zero tolerance of sexual harassment in the workplace. Are you open to supporting that campaign?
Safety.
Safety.
No, you are ridiculous.
Its a question. Will you answer it?
You are a disgrace.
Wind your neck in.
149 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: 0.11 (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).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.82).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.97).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- 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 | 0.06 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.04 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.09 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.15 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.82 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.11 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.97 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.03 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.39 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.33 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.28 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:58 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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