Ulster Unionist Employment and Learning spokesman Robin Swann MLA has expressed his sadness at the dismissive manner in which former Finance and Environment Minister Sammy Wilson is being treated by his colleagues in the DUP.
Mr Swann said:
“It was very evident yesterday in the Assembly chamber that Sammy Wilson - banished now to the back benches - is being ostracised by his DUP colleagues. He has been typically outspoken on renewable energy since leaving office, making statements which completely contradict the policy of the Executive and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.
“There is an extremely ambitious target in the Programme for Government to vastly increase the amount of electricity produced from renewable sources by 2020. Yesterday I asked the DETI Minister whether she still believes that the Programme for Government 40% target for renewable energy is realistic and achievable. She replied that she did. So I asked whether, in that case, she was surprised when the former Minister of the Environment and recent Finance Minister called the same target ‘impossible and economically destructive’.
“The curt answer she gave: - ‘No, I was not surprised at all’, to laughter from her party colleagues tells me that the DUP are officially filing the opinions of a senior member under C for Cranky.”