John Kyle: After the Bobby Storey funeral and other unethical conduct, we must rediscover a moral architecture to hold politicians to account

After Sinn Fein’s disgraceful and egregious behaviour around the Bobby Storey funeral, Rev Norman Hamilton (July 18) observes that ‘ethical poverty is now firmly established at the heart of the Stormont executive’.
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill at the funeral of the IRA man Bobby Storey. Dr Kyle says: "Sinn Fein’s behaviour around the funeral was disgraceful and egregious"Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill at the funeral of the IRA man Bobby Storey. Dr Kyle says: "Sinn Fein’s behaviour around the funeral was disgraceful and egregious"
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill at the funeral of the IRA man Bobby Storey. Dr Kyle says: "Sinn Fein’s behaviour around the funeral was disgraceful and egregious"

Ethical behaviour has not always been the natural habitat for politicians, however the current crisis in western democracy characterised by populism, polarisation and post-truth politics will only be successfully navigated if we can rediscover a moral architecture within which to do politics and which can be used to hold politicians to account.

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In Northern Ireland, if civil society, trade unions, faith leaders and the media actively champion and promote an ethical framework such as the Nolan principles of public life then political accountability, so patently absent, might be resurrected and integrity and stability restored to our damaged institutions.

Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

Dr John Kyle, Councillor, east Belfast

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