The Loyalist Communities Council has received condemnation from across much of the political spectrum when they intervened on the matter of the new Irish medium language school in East Belfast.
According to an article in the ‘Belfast Telegraph’,
‘Representatives from the LCC, led by chair David Campbell, met with Paul Givan earlier today and said they had told the DUP Minister that any proposed school “has no meaningful support from the local unionist and loyalist population and no consultation had taken place with local residents”.’
The School itself disputes this, being quoted by the Telegraph as saying that a consultation was carried out by Belfast City Council who themselves voted in favour of the application to set up the school with 11 votes in favour and five against.
Former UUP leader and current Upper Bann MLA Doug Beattie expressed his point of view forcefully on X…
Threatened by:
A temporary nursery, a primary school and a soft play area. 🤦♂️
I do not believe this represents the majority view of the loyalist community. https://t.co/cDeeZ9Jy5d
— Doug Beattie (@BeattieDoug) September 24, 2024
Other political parties chimed in…
“Brian Smyth, Green Party councillor for Lisnasharragh, in east Belfast, believes “we live in a very sick and twisted society” to have an organisation such as the LCC “perpetuating fear” about a school for children aged three to 11…
Sinn Féin MP John Finucane said: “It’s outrageous that a group which includes representatives of loyalist gangs are attempting to influence decisions about our children’s future and right to be educated through the language of their choice.”
The Telegraph notes that the Alliance party goes further than others in criticising DUP education minister Paul Givan for meeting with the LCC in the first place.
‘Alliance education spokesperson Nick Mathison has hit out at the Education Minister over the engagement with the LCC.
“The LCC is an umbrella organisation for active paramilitary groups and organisations such as this should have absolutely no place when it comes to decision-making over the education of our children,” said Mr Mathison.
“Questions must be asked about the Minister’s judgment in this case. He should be seeking to remove all paramilitary influence over our children and young people, rather than giving their views a platform.” ‘
The LCC was founded in 2015 in the aftermath of the flag protests, the result of an initiative spearheaded by peace process veteran Jonathan Powell and several leading figures within Unionism. The intent was to help Loyalist paramilitaries transition to purely peaceful means and to provide Loyalist communities, who articulate a belief that they are left behind by the rest of society, an interlocutor who could engage on their behalf with government and the wider community.
The LCC seemed to attempt to fulfil it’s remit in today’s meeting and did raise issues relating to the chronic issue of underachievement of Protestant boys and the lack of progress in tackling that issue, but that seems fated to be drowned out by the uproar over their intervention regarding the Irish language school. This has seemingly raised two distinct, but related questions. What threat in this day and age does a primary school offer to anyone, and what in this day and age (nearly ten years after its formation) is the LCC actually for? Transitioning to a more peaceful future as originally intended, or merely facilitating the interests of paramilitaries whom most people think should have left the scene a long time ago?.
I’m a firm believer in Irish unity and I live in the border regions of Tyrone.
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