Allister Exposes Pressure for RUC Athletic Association Name Change
08 March 2012
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“On Tuesday the chairman of the Royal Ulster Constabulary Athletic Association wrote to members asking them to vote in favour of changing the name of the Association. In his letter Assistant Chief Constable Kerr Kerr stated that:
“In blunt terms, a perceived unwillingness on the part of the Association to change to the more generic “Police Athletic Association Northern Ireland” may result in a failure to secure the grants on which this Association is financially dependent”.
“It therefore appears obvious that the powers that be are putting enormous pressure on the RUC Athletic Association to change its name and threatening to cut grants to it unless members fall into line.
“This is an outrageous state of affairs and I have tabled a question to the Justice Minister David Ford asking what role his Department has in promoting the change in the name of the Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Athletic Association.
“While the letter of 6th March states that this is “not about politics or disrespecting the past” those who served in the RUC will see it differently.
“The RUC served with distinction throughout the terrorist campaign of the Troubles and many of its members made the supreme sacrifice. The stripping of the RUC’s name and badge was an issue which caused huge hurt to the men and women who served in its ranks. Now there is an attempt to erase the last remnants of its name from the PSNI’s structures.
“This is totally unacceptable.
"It is incumbent upon Assistant Chief Constable Kerr to come clean on exactly where the threat to funding comes from. It simply isn't good enough to seek to blackmail the RUC AA in this way without telling us who is threatening them should the proud name of the RUC GC be preserved in the organisation's title. I have today written to ACC Kerr asking that he clarify the situation.
"Coming on the back of yesterday's news that the Assembly is considering flying a "neutral" flag at Stormont instead of the Union flag (which only flies on 18 days as it is) this development will feed the growing perception that Northern Ireland is becoming a cold house for those who value our links with the crown and the rest of the UK".
