Queen’s NIO portrait row: ‘Removal could prompt claims by unionists’

It follows claims that a civil servant received £10,000 in compensation after complaining that he was offended by portraits of the Queen monarch in Stormont House. Former Ulster Unionist MP Lord Maginnis made the allegations in the House of Lords last month.

But this week the News Letter reported that the NIO has now removed all portraits of the Queen from its offices.

This prompted Richard Clements from Tully Clements solicitors in Holywood to warn that the NIO’s decision could lead to further claims - but this time from people who have been offended by the removal of the portraits.

“Will people claim compensation because they are offended that the pictures of the Queen are now removed? The answer to that is, probably,” he told the Belfast Telegraph.

“Until a judge makes a binding decision on the specific issue of pictures of the Queen in the workplace, employers and employees are going to be in limbo as to where they stand from a legal point of view.

“Reasonableness and common sense should apply in the meantime and, if in doubt, they should seek independent legal advice.”

Asked to clarify the legislation on the matter, the Equality Commission responded that the obligations on employers are set out in the Fair Employment Code of Practice.

The code says that employers should “Promote a good and harmonious working environment and atmosphere” and that they should work with trade unionists “to create and sustain a neutral workplace...”.

Commenting on the fact that the Equality Commission appears to be advising that Northern Ireland workplaces should be “neutral” a different lawyer was not so convinced, however, countering that this advice “remains opinion” even if there is legal endorsement of the code of practise.

He added that the underlying legal system on workplace equality “assumes that people who are treated well behave better and become more reasonable; however northern nationalists disprove this liberal belief”.

But SDLP MLA Colin McGrath said Brexit and re-establishing the Executive are more important. He added: “Those matters being resolved would do more to improve relations here than the putting up and taking down of pictures.”