DUP's Buckley says immigration concerns are not 'pantomime politics' - and hits out at Alliance 'Dame' jibe
A DUP MLA has hit out at comments by the Alliance Party’s deputy leader in which he condemned “pantomime politics” – saying Eoin Tennyson’s party is out of touch with the public mood on issues like immigration.
Jonathan Buckley has also said he isn’t sure what point the the Alliance politician was trying to make when he referred to him as a “Dame” during a speech at the weekend.
At the party’s annual conference on Saturday, Mr Tennyson said he shares the “public’s frustration at the pantomime politics– often starring Dame Jonathan Buckley”.
Leader Naomi Long also spoke about the “usual deflection and distraction politics” including on “divisive populist rhetoric on immigration and integration”.
Mr Buckley says the comments say far more about Alliance’s “growing disconnect from everyday public concern” than about those “raising legitimate issues on behalf of our constituents”.
The Upper Bann MLA told the News Letter: “Attempting to dismiss concerns about immigration as ‘pantomime politics’ is an insult to the many people across Northern Ireland who expect their representatives to speak honestly about pressures on housing, public services and community cohesion.
“These are not abstract debates - they are real challenges that communities see and feel every day.
“People across Northern Ireland recognise that immigration must be lawful, controlled and fair. At present it is none of these things. Calling for a system that is properly managed and sustainable is not populism, it is simple common sense.
“Yet rather than engage with these concerns, Alliance appears increasingly determined to ridicule them.
“Mr Tennyson even chose to refer to me as “Dame Jonathan Buckley” during his remarks. I’m not entirely sure what point he was trying to make, though perhaps for a moment forgot which political party he belongs to.
“While such jibes might raise a laugh at a party conference, the public expects seriousness when it comes to dealing with the real issues affecting our society.
“Unfortunately, this dismissive tone has become a familiar approach for Alliance. Whether it is concerns about immigration or widely held views on issues such as gender policy, the party too often responds not with engagement but with lectures and caricatures directed at those who raise legitimate questions.
“It should therefore come as little surprise that Alliance’s standing in public opinion is on the slide. Increasingly, voters are recognising the gap between Alliance’s rhetoric and the everyday concerns of the people they claim to represent.
“The real pantomime in Northern Ireland politics is not raising difficult issues. It is pretending those issues do not exist”.