At the end of last week, the Environment Minister, Sammy Wilson, complained that he was not being treated with enough respect by Westminster.
This followed his refusal to allow Government advertisements which promoted the saving of energy (the Belfast Telegraph reported last Friday). This follows a wider pattern of paramania and bullying by the DUP.
Yesterday, Wilson’s own leader, Peter Robinson, humiliated him in the Assembly when he made a veiled but very conspicuous criticism of the Environment Minister.
It began with a question from UUPs Roy Beggs MLA.
“Has the office of first Minister and Deputy First Minister Considered how the programme for Government for commitment to reduce the impact of climate change is being adversely affected the views expressed by the Environment Minister on climate change….”
To which the First Minister replied:
“……I think the scientific evidence is on the side of those of us who believe that man is having an impact on climate and, therefore, there is a necessity on the part of the Executive to be dealing with those issues. And, even if it weren’t so, I have to say that the possibility that it were should be enough to alert any responsible Executive to take whatever measures it can.”
A video of the exchange has been posted on Slugger.
Mark Davenport of the BBC has described Mr. Robinson’s answer as “a pretty comprehensive slap down.” This is an understatement. There can be little doubt that Mr. Robinson has already had words with Mr. Wilson which have been ignored. Robinson’s public criticism looks very near to a last desperate attempt to control Mr. Wilson.
Mr. Robinson may already have thought about sacking his Environment Minister but then ruled it out. Reading between the lines, Mr. Robinson has done that, having considered that Wilson would be more dangerous, undisciplined and selfish outside the Executive. Wilson is clearly not a team player within the DUP. Given the number of psychological flaws in Mr. Wilson’s personality (in addition to the above, Pseudologia fantastica, egotism, meglamania and SEP come to mind), it is hard to see how Mr. Wilson is going to restrain himself.
Expect then that Sammy Wilson will cause more damage and embarrassment to the First Minister and his party.
Filed under: Climate change, DUP, Energy, Environment, Northern Ireland politics, Peter Robinson, Roy Beggs, Sammy Wilson | Tagged: Climate change, Conservative Party, DUP, Energy, Environment, Northern Ireland politics, Peter Robinson, Roy Beggs, Sammy Wilson | Leave a Comment »
