Van Morrison launches another attack on Stormont ministers

Having previously called on Health Minister Robin Swann to provide evidence in support of repeated lockdown restrictions, the Belfast singer-songwriter has accused the NI Executive of “wrecking the economy”.

The row began when Morrison released three new songs with lyrics denouncing the anti-coronavirus measures.

One of the tracks, No More Lockdown, accuses those who are “disturbing our peace” as being “fascist bullies”.

That intervention led to fierce criticism of the music icon, and resulted in Rolling Stone magazine inviting Robin Swann to write an opinion piece article.

In his article, the health minister branded Morrison’s message as “dangerous” and giving “great comfort to the conspiracy theorists”.

Through his official Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon, Morrison posted the message: “Let’s not forget COVID didn’t wreck the economy, the @niexecutive did, and we’re still waiting for their evidence.”

In an earlier attack on Mr Swann, the singer said: “I ask the NI Health Minister to disclose all the scientific evidence he has to hand to the people of Northern Ireland so that it may be open to public scrutiny. I accept that I am not an epidemiologist but then of course neither is he.

“However, I’m more than willing to present the evidence to eminent minds within this field of medicine as by doing so we may find useful solutions to the very serious issues we now face as a society. It’s his job to prove the science, not mine. I am simply questioning it.”

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