Northern Ireland has had one of the highest rates of Covid-19 in Europe, yet the DUP want to ‘open up the economy’.
In an unbelievable move, they invoked a cross community veto mechanism to stop a fellow Unionist Health Minister continuing public health restrictions. Yet in areas like Mid-Ulster, there are 593 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 of the population.
DUP MPs have openly supported Donald Trump, and their politics lie on the hard right of the political spectrum. Many of their activists embrace conspiracy theories that Covid-19 is just like another flu and would prefer a ‘herd immunity’ approach where the weak are allowed to die out.
Their main partner in government, Sinn Fein, eventually voted against a ‘compromise’ proposal. But before that its leader Michelle O’Neill was willing to support opening of parts of the hospitality trade against medical advice.
Throughout this island, we need a genuine left that will put public health before business interests and fight for a 32 county National Health Service.