Cleric rejects Dee Stitt’s suggestion that UDA/UFF part of ‘Protestant culture’ as Jamie Bryson announces north Down loyalist is ‘a client’

A Protestant cleric has spoken out against attempts to link paramilitarism with Protestantism, saying he sees nothing Biblical about such groups.

Rev Bill Shaw made the comments in response to David ‘Dee’ Stitt, the prominent north Down loyalist and former boss of the charity Charter NI.

Mr Stitt, an ex-UDA commander, tweeted out a message during the Twelfth week which showed pictures of UDA/UFF signs in Bangor, as well as enormous UDA/UFF flags.

Alongside this he said: “Our Protestant history, culture and heritage will never be taken away from us. It’s in our DNA.”

Charter NI, which runs off the back of substantial public funding, used to be run by Mr Stitt but he stepped aside from a leadership role there in 2018.

Charter NI says Mr Stitt no longer works for the charity, although its website continues to list him as “Peace IV Area Coordinator”.

Rev Shaw is listed as a director of Charter NI.

He said of Mr Stitt’s comments: “From a personal point of view I’d want to distance myself totally from that.

“The term Protestantism - that’s much abused, particularly within loyalism. That’s a fact. That’s not just my opinion.

“I struggle at this time of the year massively with these ‘expressions of culture’ as they put it. It’s never been part of my culture.”

He added that he was talking about “paramilitarism” in particular, and that “most right-thinking people” feel the same.

“While that may be the claim on the part of Dee Stitt and the people he purports to represent... it’s never been part of my culture.

“And I think I’d say confidently that for the vast majority of the unionist community it’s not part of their culture either.

“Whatever else they might claim to be, loyalist or whatever, I don’t see any of the characteristics of Biblical Protestantism in how they conduct themselves.”

The News Letter asked Mr Stitt to clarify his remarks.

It was put to him that many people think the UDA is nothing to be proud of since it killed hundreds of innocent people. It was also put to him that the Bible has strong things to say about murder.

A response came, but not from Mr Stitt. Instead fellow loyalist activist Jamie Bryson issued a message from his outfit JWB Consultancy “on behalf of my client David Stitt”.

It said: “There are many competing narratives and moral viewpoints in relation to the conflict in Northern Ireland.

“The existence of such different views is recognised by the Belfast Agreement itself, which - rightly or wrongly - at its heart was about bringing loyalist combatants and IRA terrorists into the political process.

“It is a demonstrable fact that the largest nationalist party, Sinn Fein, continue to endorse and celebrate the actions of the IRA who murdered and maimed thousands.

“If society endorses the right of Sinn Fein to take that view, which is grossly offensive to many in the PUL community, then it can not be the case that a different standard is applied to those who take a particular view of loyalism’s role during the IRA’s terrorist campaign.

“Mr Stitt stands over his views, and he is legitimately entitled to express them and hold them.

“His work in peace building activity is well known and it is possible to hold a particular view on the past, even one that some may find contentious, and to equally be a positive contributor to building a peaceful future.”

One of those who had re-tweeted Mr Stitt’s initial message linking Protestantism to the UDA was fellow loyalist activist Moore Holmes.

He was asked why he had done this, but did not respond.