Dear Friend,
The scenes we have witnessed in Ballymena, Larne and Portadown this week are utterly disgraceful. There is no excuse, no justification, and no moral cover for such wanton thuggery and destruction. Violence is never the answer. I commend the PSNI, statutory agencies, and community organisations who have worked tirelessly to protect people, restore law and order, and support all those affected.
Northern Ireland is renowned across the world for its warmth of hospitality. Yet this week, a small and reckless minority have cast a dark shadow over that reputation. In just over a month, the world will descend a little bit further up the A26 from Ballymena for The Open. That is the Northern Ireland we want to showcase. Confident, outward-looking, and welcoming. There is no place here for violence or hate we have seen this week.
Let me be clear. The DUP has long called for honest action to address illegal immigration and the pressures it places on communities and public services. That doesn’t make us racist or far-right, it makes us realists. The loudest critics often sit in leafy suburbs untouched by the consequences of failed immigration policy. Their sneering commentary only fuels frustration and alienates those trying to be heard.
We need honest conversations, in democratic forums, that lead to real political solutions. A failure to offer leadership, particularly from those who dismiss the need to act, is what leaves some feeling their only recourse is the street. They are wrong to do so, but the vacuum of leadership from others has contributed to leading them there.
And while parts of our community simmer and smoulder, some politicians focus on games. The decision by Alliance, Sinn Fein, and the SDLP to pursue a no-confidence motion against Gordon Lyons - despite him sharing only information already in the public domain and encouraged for release by the PSNI - was pathetic. That kind of distraction shows where their priorities lie.
I want to commend our DUP colleagues in Ballymena and local community leaders who have stepped up when others would not. Our message is clear: women and girls must be safe on the streets of Ballymena, peaceful protest has a place in a democracy, but there must also be the political will to provide answers – solutions are never found on the streets. Likewise, in Larne and Portadown, our representatives have worked hard to restore calm.
The DUP remains committed to finding solutions. That requires calm heads, and courageous leadership. Whilst others engage in party politicking, we won’t be found lacking.
Thank you for your continued support.
Gavin