An English language act is what we need

I read with interest CDC Armstrong's analysis of our politicians' inability in the Irish language ('˜The political parties that demand an Irish language act cannot themselves speak it,' September 23).

I had always excused those from the nationalist side for their poor performance in the use of English as I had assumed that their first language was Irish.

That is, however, now patently not the case.

I could never find a similar excuse for those on the unionist side who sometimes seem to struggle with our mother tongue – I doubt if their first language is Ulster Scots!

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Just before the last Westminster election, I emailed a query to a candidate who, in the space of his six-line reply, managed to squeeze in four grammatical errors.

With so little genuine interest in Irish, I suggest we all might be better served spending the relevant monies on an English language act.

The idea is that the act would require our politicians to be better equipped to represent Northern Ireland on the world stage where trade deals and other negotiations are, more often than not, conducted in English.

Maybe an A or A* in English Language would be a essential requirement for those aspiring to serve as elected representatives?

Cliff Cardwell, Co Londonderry

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