New Equality Commission Head Rattles Unionist Politicians

Well, it’s been a week since the 12th July celebrations and apart from a few minor skirmishes in the ‘redneck’ areas, the whole thing passed off rather peacefully. Hell, even Gerry and Martin mucked in and tried a bit of mediation on the day!

A Slow News Day For Northern Ireland?

In the absence of post-12th anarchy, Unionist politicians have had to fall back on z-rate news to find something to rant about: The appointment of Bob Collins as head of Northern Ireland’s Equality Commission. His crime? He’s from ‘down South’, worked in Dublin for 30 years and a former director general of the Irish television station RTE. He’s almost certainly an IRA plant then, posted to tip the balance in favour of equality-seeking Republicans? Wise up.

Collins responded perfectly to the accusation that he would be biased in his role: “Do not make any assumptions about me on the basis of where I come from.” That sums it up for me.

A Typically Balanced Unionist Response

Smooth-talking Peter Robinson of the DUP was horrified at the very suggestion that Collins should have the post, probably having visions of the man sitting at his desk smiling through his balaclava with a tricolour on the wall behind him.

Rather than risk the Equality Commission to a possibly biased leadership, Robinson sensibly suggested that someone from the DUP should have the job. I’m paraphrasing, of course, but here’s the full quote from the BBC website:

“It is a scandal that there is still not a single person who is in any way identified with the largest political party in Northern Ireland on the Equality Commission” - Peter Robinson

Yes indeed, what a scandal. With Peter & Co looking out for us, equality, liberty and fraternity are in safe hands. God bless ‘em.