Allister turns question on speeding into Bobby Storey funeral barb

Mr Allister made the point during a question-and-answer session for Naomi Long, following last week’s publication of the latest report into the Bobby Storey funeral.

The matter before the Assembly was a DUP question to Mrs Long, which read: “To ask the Minister of Justice whether she will consider directing further resources to Policing and Community Safety Partnerships to enable the rollout of more Speed Indicator Devices.”

These are machines which tell approaching drivers their speed, in a bid to quell motorists who are travelling too fast.

Last week’s report into the Storey funeral (which followed one from Belfast City Council and from the PPS) has been savaged for claiming the PSNI was liaising with a security firm hired by Sinn Fein – a claim which has come into question.

Mr Allister asked Mrs Long: “Speaking of indicator devices, does the minister think she might need a truth indicator device when it comes to the HMIC report?

“Given that key premise of that report, namely that there was an events company with which the PSNI co-operated, not least on road safety, now turns out to be false.

“There was no such company! How can the minister sustain the position that she welcomes what she called ‘a comprehensive report’?”

She replied: “To be clear, I need no such device in terms of honesty, integrity or truth.

“And it is fairly clear the member in question doesn’t need a shoehorn either, given that he managed to turn that into a question that had nothing to do with the substantive issue.”

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