Editorial: Mike Nesbitt is right to slam Hilary Benn's views on both the Belfast Agreement and the Irish language

On page seven we report the Ulster Unionist Party’s irritation with Hilary Benn’s praise of the late Dr Ian Paisley (click here to read it).

​The late North Antrim MP was a remarkable leader of unionist politics, a massively energetic evangelical preacher who founded his own church, a dedicated representative of his constituents and so dedicated to public service that he was the first minister of Northern Ireland late in his long life.

But it is quite absurd to make gushing reference to Rev Paisley in connection to a Belfast Agreement about which he was so scathing and which he tried to destroy.

Mr Nesbitt is therefore justified in his reaction to the Northern Ireland secretary’s comments that any praise in relation to unionists and the 1998 deal should go to the late David Trimble.

The current Ulster Unionist Party leader was also right to be critical of Mr Benn’s strikingly naive remarks about the Irish language, in which he has seemingly delighted the BBC by criticising unionist concerns about the use of Gaelic. In other words, Mr Benn has identified unionists as to blame for the Irish language row over the new transport hub in Belfast, not provocative republicans.

As Mr Nesbitt puts it so well: "[re Hilary Benn’s] totally imbalanced assessment of the issue of Irish language signage at Grand Central Station. Mr Benn says he wants us all to celebrate all traditions. Does that include the tradition of some republicans to believe every word spoken in Irish is another bullet fired in the battle for Irish freedom? That tradition needs to be addressed if we are to achieve cross-community support for the language my party would like to see.

"I’m disappointed he does not realise progress requires compromise, not fully throated support for one side or the other."