‘All I wanted was to hug gran but I could not – now Michelle O’Neill needs to do honourable thing and step aside’

A UUP councillor whose relative was buried in May has contrasted the toned-down funeral given to their family member with the massive crowds honouring Bobby Storey.
By Adam Kula
Published 1st Jul 2020, 16:12 BST
Robbie Alexander pictured earlier this yearRobbie Alexander pictured earlier this year
Robbie Alexander pictured earlier this year

Chris Smyth of Omagh was step-grandson to Robbie Alexander – a 99-year-old stalwart of the Co Tyrone farming fraternity and one of the oldest active Orangemen in the Province.

He died in May, but the funeral was a much more muted affair than would normally have been the case.

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Mr Smyth said: “He was a prominent member of the church and Orange Order in a very tightly knit rural community and consequently quite a lot of people including myself would have wanted to attend his funeral but couldn’t due to guidelines.

“The thing I most wanted to do was give my grandmother a hug – but I couldn’t.

“For me, leaders must lead by word and by deed.

“While the deputy first minister has been prepared to stand up in front of the country and tell others to abide by social distancing regulations, she has come up seriously short when it comes to her actions.

“I think her credibility is in ribbons right now and in order to preserve people’s confidence in the guidelines and to show that the rules apply to everyone including political figures, she should do the honourable thing and step aside for the duration of the pandemic.”

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Related topics:UUPMichelle O'NeillOmaghProvince