VIDEO: Jonathan Buckley says Alliance MLA's remarks about DUP and far right 'are defamatory' adding: 'The only extremists here are Alliance'

He also said that in his eyes it is the Alliance Party who are the “extremists”.

The row centres on the future of “relationships and sexuality education” (RSE, formerly known as “sex education”) in Northern Ireland.

Alliance want to take schools’ RSE teaching out of the hands of school principals and governors and instead present all pupils with a mandatory syllabus.

At the centre of this syllabus would be the teaching of “consent”, telling children what constitutes a “healthy relationship”, and advising them how to be on the look out for “abuse” and “coercive control”. They also want pupils to be involved in the drawing up of their own curriculum.

Transgender, abortion, and feminist activists have been hoping for years to have their talking points included in a syllabus for children.

• Mess with children's education at your peril: DUP issues stern warning to Alliance ahead of sex education debate

The whole furore this week started with a tweet by Eoin Tennyson, the Alliance finance spokesperson and MLA for Upper Bann. He describes himself as “LGBT” and says his pronouns are “he/him”.

He wrote on Sunday, ahead of a big debate in Stormont today about RSE: “The DUP’s ‘let kids be kids’ campaign is a disgusting dog-whistle to the far-right.”

Mr Buckely takes this to be a reference to a "concerned parents” meeting held at the Seagoe Hotel last September under the banner “let kids be kids”.

Mr Buckley says it was a panel discussion attended by up to 600 people, including around 15 school principals.

Mr Tennyson’s tweet was raised on the floor of Stormont during that debate on Monday, with Mr Tennyson refusing to withdraw it.

“I think that we heard a very strong dog whistle to the far right from Mr Buckley here today,” he said. "I therefore stand by my remarks.”

He added that the DUP has chosen to “spread misinformation and to contribute nothing more to this debate than fear, prejudice and hate”.

• VIDEO: Northern Ireland Assembly speaker examining Alliance MLA's remarks after he says DUP 'courting far right' and spreading 'hate and prejudice'

His remarks are being looked at by the speaker Edwin Poots.

Speaking to the News Letter today, Mr Buckley said that whilst he had been the subject of “defamatory” comments, he has not considered a libel suit and wants to see what the speaker’s response is.

He said the comments were “disgraceful” adding: “Let’s not forget what the association of ‘far right’ actually means. Adolf Hitler was far right. Adolf Hitler gassed millions of Jews.

"So I think Mr Tennyson should reflect upon that comment and withdraw it.”

He said he “knows for a fact” that there were people at his Seagoe Hotel meeting who used to vote Alliance but had become disenchanted due to its promotion of transgenderism:

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"They went from a party that were supposedly progressive liberals towards authoritarian positions on these issues, particularly on gender ideology,” he said.

“What the Alliance Party are attempting to do is seize control of what’s taught within RSE to suit a particular agenda, and that’s to push gender ideology upon young children.

“The only extremists in yesterday’s debate was the Alliance Party; the DUP was not calling to impose anything on anyone.”

He also criticised “the way they sniggered and laughed” at “legitimate concerns” which are held by parents and teachers.

The Alliance Party has been contacted, but declined to comment.