Ulster Unionist leader, Steve Aiken OBE MLA, has stated that there is no excuse for Executive Ministers to be going on political manoeuvres when we are in the middle of a global pandemic.
Mr Aiken said:
“Edwin Poots would be better saying nothing more. It`s long past time that this was brought to a halt. Covid-19 is an equal opportunities killer and it doesn`t discriminate against people whether they are Protestant, Catholic or neither. The people who have tragically lost their lives to Covid-19 have come from all backgrounds and all faiths. That`s what all politicians should be focused on and ensuring that we do absolutely everything we can to save lives, protect the health service and get our economy fully open again as soon as safely possible.
“At a time when the people of Northern Ireland are looking to the Executive to provide effective leadership, instead they see a minister systematically engaged in undermining restrictions agreed by an Executive of which he is a member and his Party Leader is First Minister. While political manoeuvres by Executive Ministers has been a feature of the Northern Ireland Executive from its outset, that this is happening at this time is beyond any excuse.
“If we were dealing with normal political discourse, Edwin would apologise for bringing people`s religion into the midst of a Covid-19 pandemic and Sinn Fein would apologise for breaking Coronavirus regulations and guidelines. Sadly, it looks like we`ll get neither.”