Doug Beattie admits he lied in canvassing video - but says it was to promote councillors and the UUP
Former UUP MLA Doug Beattie has admitted lying about canvassing with two former colleagues – but says the fact that the media was informed that two councillors weren’t there shows there is a deliberate attempt to undermine him.
The former leader quit at the weekend, accusing Jon Burrows of allowing “a toxic atmosphere” to “flourish within the party”.
The UUP rejected claims in his resignation letter – and said the move had overtaken a probe into “serious concerns about Mr Beattie’s conduct and judgement”.
Speaking to the BBC Nolan Show on Monday, the former UUP MLA was challenged about a social media video posted last month during a canvass in Banbridge.
In the video, he said “I’m canvassing again, this time I’m in Banbridge, in Summerhill. And I’m with Alderman Ian Burns and Alderman Glenn Barr”.
Asked by Mr Nolan whether he was with those councillors, the Upper Bann MLA admitted that he was not and said he had been “economical with the truth”.
“If people look at that video, they'll see me standing, and I'm holding a leaflet, which I'm putting through the doors, and that's a leaflet for Alderman Glenn Barr and a leaflet for Alderman Ian Burns. So I'm out promoting and delivering for two members of the UUP, and I was economical with the truth. I was trying to promote those two individuals”, he said.
Pushed on the matter, he said “When I say I’m economical with the truth, I’m there with Glenn Barr and Ian Burns, because I’m standing there with their leaflet”.
The ex-UUP man added: “I’ve already said to you that they weren’t there. I’m not lying to you. I lied there, I was dishonest, that’s fine. But I wasn’t dishonest in a matter to damage anybody. It was because I was trying to promote two elected representatives of our party, and the party itself. I was out when they couldn’t be out”.
Mr Beattie also said that he apologises to anyone who thinks he deliberately misled them, but added “I’m not going to apologise to a party for trying to promote that party”.
He told Mr Nolan: “The very fact that you have that information tells me that there is somebody who is deliberately firing stuff out which is trying to undermine me as a person”.