The "parish pump society"
The DUP, the Ulster Unionists and the Northern Ireland Tories are engaged in a three way tussle over the Orange Order. As part of their continuing assault on the nascent UUP-Conservative Alliance, the DUP has unearthed comments made back in March on the local Tory website in which leading local spokesmen Jeffrey Peel described the Order as a "backward facing history obsessed parish pump society". The DUP wanted to know if the UUP shared those views.
Mr Peel says the comments, which have now been taken down from the website, represent his own personal opinion not Conservative policy. The UUP's Tom Elliot, who is a senior Orangeman, says his party continues to believe that "the Order contributes to the rich cultural diversity of Northern Ireland and has a very significant role to play in our society".
The DUP - in the shape of former Culture Minister Edwin Poots - has gone on to reproduce a private e-mail Mr Peel sent to a UUP member in which he suggests that the e-mail's anonymous recipient should "take refuge in an Orange Hall somewhere and console yourself that you have faith and there won't be any Catholics in your midst. Because that's your choice and as a Conservative I'm all for choice. Although it's not a choice I'd take."
Again Mr Peel says this is his personal opinion not Tory policy. The e-mail had not been intended for publication. The UUP claims its disturbing that the DUP has been sifting through five month old e-mails. Does this show the DUP is unnerved by the UUP-Conservative alliance or have they hit on a weak spot? Certainly, looking beyond the website controversy, it will be interesting to gauge the temperature of any local unionists attending next month's Conservative conference in Birmingham.
Oh, and if Bobby Saulters invites Ann Widdecombe to join any time soon, you'll know this was a storm in an orange juice cup.
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