Twelfth: Allister blasts Stormont status quo at Glenarm

There was a distinctly political flavour to one Twelfth gathering in Co Antrim on Tuesday, where a serving MLA had been called on to deliver a guest speech.

Jim Allister, TUV leader and former Orangeman, addressed those attending the relatively small-scale gathering in the east coast village of Glenarm about his vision for the Province’s political future.

The parade is the first Twelfth which the village has hosted since 2012.

Before the parade got underway, the nearby village of Carnlough had been hit by a bomb alert.

Army bomb disposal vehicles were seen heading through Glenarm before the noon-time start of the parade, on their way to the scene of the incident only around two-or-so miles to the north along the Co Antrim coast.

However, one councillor for the area – the DUP’s Beth Clyde – said the security alert (which resulted in a live device being found) did not affect the day’s proceedings.

Though Mr Allister ended up speaking without notes on the day, he shared with the News Letter a copy of the pre-prepared statement which was the basis of his address.

In it he spoke of the ramifications of quitting the EU – echoing the sentiments of a Presbyterian clergyman in Newtownstewart who had delivered a similar message to those assembled at that Co Tyrone event.

Mr Allister had formerly been an Orangeman, but he allowed his membership to lapse back in his student days when he decided he could not devote as much time to the organisation as he wanted.

“Much nonsense has been peddled that since Northern Ireland as a region voted for ‘remain’, we should have some opt out on leaving,” his written speech said.

“The question we all voted on was not should Northern Ireland leave or remain, but whether as a nation and as a whole the United Kingdom should leave or remain.

“The decision has been made for the whole nation to leave and that is what must happen, without backsliding or deviation.”

He said that other nations may also soon “free” themselves from the “servitude” of EU membership.

Mr Allister spoke of the progress at Stormont in forming some kind of official Opposition, with the DUP and Sinn Fein now governing essentially alone without UUP, SDLP and Alliance help.

However, he said that the current situation of having a de facto “mandatory coalition” to govern the Province “has to be the next obstacle to fall”.

A total of 11 lodges were present and councillor Clyde estimated that perhaps 300 to 400 bandsmen and Orangemen were on parade.

The host lodge was Carnalbana True Blues LOL 595.

As well as accordions and flutes, she said a number of Lambeg drums had been “blasting away” – although they had to be covered up during showers.

“It went very well,” she said. “The Braid district [the east Antrim area taking in Glenarm] is just a small, family gathering. Everybody meets somebody they haven’t seen since last year.

“It was just another great day out for Braid district, and though it rained at times it didn’t dampen our enthusiasm.”