Debate contribution: Committee for Standards and Privileges Report: Ministerial Response
Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on .
- MLA
- Mr Gordon Lyons
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 26 January 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Questions for Urgent Oral Answer
- Heading
- Committee for Standards and Privileges Report: Ministerial Response
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5340883
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I am grateful to the Member for asking the question and giving me the opportunity to respond to the findings of the report. I welcome the fact that the report has confirmed what I said in the immediate aftermath of the events of that day. Her investigation has confirmed that, first, the PSNI asked me to put out a message clarifying that those who moved to the leisure centre were not there, and, secondly, that I did not reveal the location of anyone, despite the comments of some Members, nor was I the one who had initially revealed where they had been. Most of all, I welcome the fact that the commissioner has said that there is:
"no evidence to substantiate ... a connection"
between my post and violence. As Members will be aware, I disagree with the findings, because I believe that they are based on statements that are incorrect and that the commissioner has introduced a new standard for leadership, which includes what she considers to be an appropriate demonstration of emotion and a refusal to criticise public bodies. Therefore, I am in the position where I encourage everybody to read the report and my response. What happened at Larne leisure centre that evening was nothing short of a disgrace. It had serious and continuing impacts for the swimmers and staff who were at the leisure centre at that time. Discrimination or violence against somebody because of their race is abhorrent and has no place in society. I will always work with others to ensure that we remove that scourge.
262 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).
- The text criticises or condemns the framing or division (0.89).
- Subject area: Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers.
- 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 | 0.09 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.07 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.06 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.16 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.22 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.16 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing | 0.11 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it (chosen) | 0.89 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Immigration, asylum, race, ethnicity and Travellers | 0.87 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.13 |
| 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 14:30 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.