DUP apology for councillor's '˜sexist' comments about council chief

During a debate about cycling in the city, councillor Graham Craig said he enjoyed frequently seeing Suzanne Wylie “whizzing past” him on her bike – saying it was a “slightly greater pleasure” than seeing councillor John Kyle who is also a keen cyclist. Ms Wylie was in the chamber at the time.

In response to a contribution from Mr Kyle, Mr Craig said: “I often have the slightly greater pleasure of the chief executive whizzing past me on her bicycle in the morning which does quicken one’s step slightly.”

Although the controversial remarks sparked some laughter in the chamber, SDLP councillor Donal Lyons asked his DUP counterpart to withdraw them, and to show “even the basic level of respect to everyone who sits in this chamber”.

In a Facebook video immediately after the meeting, Alliance councillor Nuala McAllister said Ms Wylie had been “subjected to the most horrific sexist comments” by Mr Craig.

Ms McAllister added: “It is absolutely horrific that in 2017, any woman, in any profession, should be subjected to such vile comments, and we call on councillor Craig, at the very least, to apologise to our chief executive.”

In a statement on Tuesday, a DUP spokesman said the remarks “were not appropriate,” and added: “Councillor Craig has spoken to the chief executive privately to apologise and the DUP group leader on the council has also apologised for the comments. We are glad this action was taken quickly.”

In a Facebook post, PUP councillor Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston said she was “dismayed” at the “objectifying and sexualising” of a council employee.

A spokeswoman for Belfast City Council said Ms Wylie would not be commenting on the matter.

• Graham Craig was originally elected to Belfast City Council as an Ulster Unionist but defected to the DUP in October last year.

The switch surprised many as he had previously written letters to newspapers claiming the “DUP representatives at City Hall have clearly demonstrated to the unionist electorate of Belfast that they are unworthy of the trust which has been placed upon them”.

In one letter, published in the News Letter just four months before he joined the party, Mr Craig spoke of the “dysfunctional nature of the DUP at City Hall”.

At the time, councillor Jeff Dudgeon, chairman of the South Belfast Ulster Unionist Constituency Association, claimed Mr Craig had “used the Ulster Unionist Party as a vehicle to get elected, but has now very selfishly abandoned those who voted for him”.