DUP boasts support of drug-dealing gangster

Posted by Jim on April 13, 2019

The DUP in north Belfast has won the competition for the most outrageous
pre-election news story after it emerged that their candidates’
nomination papers have been signed by a convicted cocaine dealer, as
well as another infamous loyalist convicted of driving at speed into a
crowd of nationalists.

DUP north Belfast councillor Dale Pankhurst and former Stormont minister
Nelson McCausland have been canvassing alongside Mark Officer, who was
jailed in 2015 over a cocaine haul worth nearly £1m. The loyalist
kingpin was handed a 40-month sentence for being involved in the supply
of the Class A drug. His name is also listed among those who signed
nomination papers for Gillian Simpson, a DUP candidate in north Belfast
alongside Pankhurst.

Mr Pankhurst’s own nomination papers were signed by notorious Orangeman
John Aughey. He was jailed for one year after violently mowing his car
into nationalists at the Ardoyne shopfronts in July 2015 during a
protest over the Orange Order’s bid to march past the sectarian
flashpoint. One teenager became trapped under his vehicle, was run over
and was dragged along, suffering life-changing injuries.

In a statement issued in the name of its local councillor Ryan Murphy,
Sinn Féin said the DUP had displayed ‘staggering arrogance and
hypocrisy’ in its approach to the election. They said: “The DUP likes to
portray itself as the party of law and order yet, when it comes to
election time, they clearly have no difficulty sharing platforms with
the representatives of loyalist paramilitary organisations which are
still actively involved in everything from drug dealing to extortion and
murder.”

Other unionist candidates have made headlines for different reasons. The
election posters of far-right loyalist Jolene Bunting have been reported
to the PSNI as potential hate crimes. The independent councillor, who is
seeking re-election next month, put up campaign posters with slogans
including “Put veterans before immigrants” and “Local homes for local
people”.

Sinn Féin councillor Ciaran Beattie described the posters as the
“politics of hate”, while Alliance representative Micky Murray said they
were “blatant, everyday racism”.

Another independent unionist councillor, Henry Reilly, formerly of UKIP,
had his account closed by Twitter after he issued a sectarian screed on
the social network. The Newry, Mourne and Down representative told
Twitter users that “Ulster Protestants will fight hard” in any upcoming
war in the north of Ireland.

Reilly declared: “IRA-types telling me the Prods are finished – I would
remind the Provos that there is now no British Army or RUC here to
protect them – Any war they start will be with Ulster Protestants alone
and it will be a fight to the last and Ulster Protestants will fight
hard”.