Joyous celebration of our Britishness
01 May 2011
“Today’s Royal wedding should unite all people of goodwill in wishing our future King and his bride every happiness. The monarchy, in a modern age of diversity, is a unifying force which holds together the entire Commonwealth. It also lies at the very heart of our Britishness.
“Across Northern Ireland people are enthralled by the pageantry and celebrate this momentous and joyous occasion. It’s a tangible reminder that it’s good to be British.
“In celebrating our Britishness today I must regret the shameful failure of the Stormont Government to officially acknowledge the wedding of our future King with an official gift on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland. Once more the Sinn Fein veto has been exercised and meekly accepted by those who brought them into office.
“As part of the same dilution of our Britishness, though a part of the United Kingdom, next Thursday the people of Northern Ireland will be denied the same basic British democratic rights enjoyed everywhere else: the right to vote a party out of government and even the right to have an Opposition in our elected Assembly. These are not just intolerable slights on our Britishness, but a monstrous assault on basic democratic rights. As the catalyst for change in Stormont TUV will not rest till these universal democratic rights are restored.”
