There are fears that the platform being given to an organisation which represents loyalist paramilitary groups risks “eroding democracy”, an MP has said.
Alliance MP Stephen Farry told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee that the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) was being treated as a “de facto” political party.
Another MP, the SDLP’s Claire Hanna, asked Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris if he believed media broadcasters were giving “too much space” to loyalist community representatives.
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The LCC is an umbrella group which represents the Ulster Volunteer Force, Ulster Defence Association and Red Hand Commando.
Last week its chairman, David Campbell, appeared on an episode of the BBC’s The View programme.
During a discussion about the new Windsor Framework deal, he warned of a “credible threat” if unionism and loyalism is “continually undermined”.
At the Commons committee, Ms Hanna asked the Northern Ireland Secretary: “Do you think we’re giving too much space in broadcast for this material?
“We now regularly have loyalist community representatives in the media amping up that threat.
“Clearly, throughout the Brexit years, we know that MI5, PSNI and others gave an assessment of the exploitation that they thought dissident republicans might try to pursue in the event of a different Brexit outcome, but they weren’t given space in long form to do good cop, bad cop in the media. Is that something we need to reconsider?
“Should broadcasters maybe stick with analysis or security assessment? Are we creating a problem when we constantly platform people to give us their personal views on the capacity or intent of paramilitary organisations?”
Mr Heaton-Harris said: “Tempted as I am to give a personal opinion here, the one thing I do know as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is that issues around broadcast, who goes on for interview and free speech, are very, very thorny issues.
“I would not want to be the Secretary of State who leans into who the BBC gives a platform to.”
Ms Hanna said: “I will ask you in another way. Do you think political actors are leaving too much space for aggressive voices in political discourse and should political representatives attempt to close that space?”
Mr Heaton-Harris said he thought there was an “opportunity for political representatives to be much more active in this area”.
Mr Farry asked the Northern Ireland Secretary what was the official position of the Northern Ireland Office on the status of the LCC.
He said: “Do you see it purely as a front for paramilitary organisations, terrorist organisations, or do you see it as a political actor?”
Mr Heaton-Harris said: “I have not met with the Loyalist Communities Council or anyone purporting to represent that organisation.
“I don’t know what I would formally define the Loyalist Communities Council as.”
Mr Farry responded: “The concern would be that to many people it is simply a front for two or three active paramilitary organisations.
“But some people do treat it as a political actor whose opinions are seen as being as worthy as those who have elected mandates.
“There is a concern that this is an erosion of the democratic process, that we bring these actors in from left-field and treat them as a de facto political party.”
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