Coronavirus: ‘If Varadkar called for public kissing and parties Sinn Fein would rush to back it’ says ex-health minister

Jim Wells was speaking to the News Letter following the paper’s reporting of the rift between Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill, and how this is believed to have held up the publication of the list.

But Mr Wells said the fiasco around the list is just one example of how Sinn Fein is “playing politics” with the worst crisis since World War Two.

The whole saga dates back to March when the government issued a list of the types of businesses which should stay open.

While that initial list covered many retail and service businesses (from supermarkets to off-licences and pet shops), it left a grey area around factories and food processing firms.

Then last Friday night the Executive finally published its list of “priority” businesses in the manufacturing sector.

It was described by Economy Minister Diane Dodds as being merely “for advisory purposes to allow companies to make their own decisions” in case they were thinking of closing – rather than being a legally binding instruction to shut for businesses that are not on the list.

And while the line from the DUP has been “if a company can work within the social distancing guidelines then it should do so”, Sinn Fein’s stance has been more hardline, calling for all “non-essential” businesses to be shut.

Mr Wells said Sinn Fein’s firm position on the lockdown stems from a desire to echo the Republic as closely as it can, where people have been barred from travelling more than 1.2 miles (2km) unless strictly necessary.

“Let’s be blunt about it; if Leo Varadkar said tomorrow morning that there should be wild parties in every park with kissing and cuddling and dancing, they’d support it,” said Mr Wells.

“This is entirely designed to have a policy that replicates the Irish Republic. The same with the two-kilometre issue. The same on the schools issue.

“This is nothing to do with public health; this is simply blind political narrow-minded nonsense whereby if the Irish Republic say it’s right, it’s right.

“And no matter what our chief medical officer and all their staff say, it’s wrong here.

“What Sinn Fein will always do is follow slavishly whatever happens in the Republic whether it’s right for Northern Ireland or not.

“That’s why this essential list took so long – I had the local chamber of commerce on to me pleading for this list to be published.

“They’re playing politics with the most crucial, most difficult situation we’ve faced since 1945.”

Mr Well’s criticisms were put to Sinn Fein, which responded by saying: “These comments are frankly bizarre, even by Jim Wells’ standards.

“Our priority in all of this is to save lives in our collective fight against this global pandemic.

“We are following medical and scientific advice and international best practice to keep people safe and save lives.

“That will remain our focus regardless of the blinkered ranting of Jim Wells.”

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