He’s back… and this time it’s random

By Viktor Twinkie

The Mercurial John Laird was back at his work again yesterday. As ever his organ of choice was happy to oblige his latest, most ludicrous public statement.

His target… human rights terrorists in the Human Rights Consortium!

Before going any further, who could say John didn't come at this with an open-mind? Well... John. He has pledged to ask the tough questions off government and…

Whether the answer is acceptable or not I don't know but I will certainly start a row.

Starting rows in the event of an acceptable answer? Erm, okay. John is nothing if not unconventional!

So Laird makes high accusations about the wastage of public funds that is the HRC. And his answer? Ask Government for more public money to spend on a group campaigning against a Bill of Rights… so that makes it all right then!

So Laird is going to government to ask why it is funding an expensive talking shop. Would he not get an answer more quickly if he picked up the phone to his Party leader? Coz the UUP sits on HRC meetings. Does John realise that the UUP spent the best part of last year contributing to the HRC?

The UUP supports the HRC but not the BoR. A perfectly reasonable position. But John attacks everything about the HRC - including his own Party (for contributing to the waste of public money).

And to top it all off John invites a damaging a lawsuit by impugning the independence and capacity of Monica McWilliams to do her job fairly and fully.

He claimed that the Human Rights Commission was "dominated and run" by Irish republicans who "seem to think they are the only people who should benefit from human rights".

BTW - Daphne Trimble is a Human Rights Commissioner. She is among those who run the commission. Can she confirm the existence of a republican agenda? Does Lord Trimble share John's analysis?

Has John uncovered a new, rich vein of gaffe form? The UUP's capacity for shooting itself in the foot is clearly boundless.