TUV candidate shrugs off campaign poster egg attack: ‘No big deal’

Ron McDowell, is seeking to win election to the Northern Ireland Assembly in the North Belfast constituency, said he and a man in his 60s came under attack by a “carload” of people as they put the posters up on Tuesday evening.

But the TUV man has sought to downplay the incident and revealed he has chosen not to report it.

In a video message, Mr McDowell said: “Just to clear things up and let you know what has actually happened, I think I am the only candidate so far who has been physically attacked while putting posters up.

I think we had about four teams across North Belfast last night. I was with a 68-year-old man who was at the bottom of a ladder while I was up the ladder.

Now, we were attacked just outside the centre of Glengormley there, and it wasn’t a massive attack.”

He continued: “It was a carload came up and egged us. They egged me, they egged the inside of the car, they egged the boot of the car and left a bit of a mess. They had two goes at us before they departed.

“But I didn’t report it. And this is where leadership comes in, because a politician’s role is to be a balm to an enflamed situation. And this was not anything sinister. There was nothing to be gained by making it bigger.

We have to provide leadership and calm things down, not inflame them.

“So I didn’t report it and I didn’t mention it, but because it has become a story and people are talking about it, I just want to set the record straight as to what happened.”

He added: “There’s a responsibility on politicians to show leadership, and sometimes that means to walk circumspectly. It would be great if we could put campaign posters wherever we want, but it would be foolish of me to put TUV posters in the Falls Road, or to put them in the Springfield Road. That would inflame the situation when we’re supposed to be a balm. It’s foolish to think nationalists can put campaign posters in the Shankill Road, and it’s foolish to think Sinn Fein can put campaign posters in the Ballysillan Road.”

Mr McDowell declared: “It’s not a big deal. I am fine. The chap who was with me is fine. We’re hoping for a good campaign, and the best of British to everybody who is running in this election.”