A remark by Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie accusing rivals of screaming and whining “like a girl” fell well short of the standards expected in the Assembly, Stormont’s Speaker has said.
Alex Maskey said if the legislature was operating on a normal basis he would have considered imposing a sanction on Mr Beattie for the comment during Wednesday’s recall sitting at Parliament Buildings.
Mr Maskey said given the current situation, where power sharing is in cold storage, and the fact the UUP leader apologised for the remark, he did not to intend to take further action.
Read more: Doug Beattie sorry for "whine like a girl" comment as Assembly recall debate gets tetchy
During the sitting, Mr Beattie told MLAs he “got it wrong” with the remark.
The Assembly met on Wednesday for a doomed attempt to elect a new speaker to revive the power sharing institutions.
During his speech, the UUP leader told DUP members: “I know that you think you can scream and whine like a girl from the sidelines. That’s up to you.”
Several MLAs voiced objection to the remark and Mr Beattie apologised.
“I’m a big enough man to say when I get something wrong. I got it wrong and I will apologise because I got it wrong, because I used a terminology,” he said.
The sitting on Wednesday was chaired by Acting Speaker Alan Chambers. Mr Maskey is no longer an MLA but remains the official speaker until such time as a successor is appointed.
He wrote a letter to MLAs on Friday raising concerns about a number of aspects of Wednesday’s debate.
Mr Maskey said general standards of debate expected in the Assembly chamber should involve “courtesy, good temper, moderation and respect”.
“Mr Beattie’s remarks clearly fell well short of those standards,” he said.
“Having had to address similar issues in the Assembly on a previous occasion, it is disappointing that a party leader, who should be expected to know better, made remarks of this nature in the chamber,” he said.
“In the heat of politics, any of us can sometimes say things which we later regret. On those occasions, it is important to reflect. I therefore acknowledge that Mr Beattie made an apology after the first Point of Order drew attention to his remarks.
“If the Assembly was currently conducting normal business, I would have considered imposing a sanction on Mr Beattie. Given the circumstances in which we currently find ourselves, as well as his apology, I do not propose to take any further action in relation to Mr Beattie.
“However, the Assembly should demonstrate leadership and its debates should seek to set an example, and a higher standard, to the wider community. Much has been done to seek to increase the representation of women in the Assembly in recent years. While progress has been made, we still have much further to go.
“Therefore, I think it is important that I set out clearly that remarks which rely on demeaning language or outdated phrases and stereotypes, in relation to gender or any other characteristic, are not appropriate and are contrary to the standards which should be set in the Assembly Chamber.”
Mr Maskey also addressed several other incidents that occurred during the debate.
One involved Sinn Fein MLA Aisling Reilly and her response to UUP MLA Robbie Butler’s request to let him intervene in her speech. She asked whether he intended to make his intervention in the Irish language before declining the request.
“Members have the right to decide whether they accept an intervention or not, but Standing Orders also give members the right to speak in the language of their choice,” said Mr Maskey.
“Members cannot be discriminated against on the basis of the language they choose to speak. It is not in order for members to ask which language will be used when considering whether or not to accept an intervention.”
Mr Maskey also said Alliance MLA Sorcha Eastwood came “perilously close” to challenging the authority of the acting speaker during the sitting.
“The nature and tone of some of the interactions with the acting speaker at Wednesday’s sitting, in particular by Sorcha Eastwood MLA, were such that if they did not constitute a challenge to the Chair, they were perilously close to doing so,” he said.
“This matter has been taken seriously by every Speaker, including me, as the authority of the Chair is important to maintaining order and the smooth operation of Assembly business.
“Therefore, members should note that our procedures and conventions are clear that it is not in order to challenge the authority of the chair.”
Mr Maskey concluded his letter by commented on the general tenor of the debate.
“The political environment we are in has, understandably but very regrettably, had an influence on the tone of recent debates,” he said.
“However, the nature of Wednesday’s debate was at times verging on disorderly.”
He said issues included:
• Members continually speaking from a sedentary position and heckling other contributions
• Members refusing to speak through the Chair
• Spurious Points of Order
• A number of bad tempered exchanges
• Members going well beyond the scope of the debate, which was to elect a speaker
He added: “I appreciate that there are deep frustrations and tensions at the current time. However, I would ask all members to reflect on whether they think Wednesday’s proceedings would have served to only further diminish public confidence in the Assembly.
“I would ask all members to take account of the points in this letter for future sittings.”
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