UUP accuse Sammy Wilson of being bitter over ‘thwarted DUP leadership ambitions’ as fierce war of words breaks out over Covid

In a statement issued tonight, Ulster Unionist MLA John Stewart – who like Mr Wilson represents East Antrim – heaped contempt upon the veteran DUP man’s remarks calling them variously “grossly irresponsible”, “deeply offensive”, “bizarre”, and “ill-informed”, and suggested he is bitter about “thwarted leadership” ambitions.

The row had been sparked by a statement issued by Mr Wilson earlier in the day.

Mr Wilson’s statement did not come via the DUP press office as the overwhelming majority of such statements do, but from his personal parliamentary office.

It said (in full): “Despite the fact that only 2.6% of ICU beds are occupied by people suffering from Covid-19 and the number of people hospitalised as a result of the virus is below 30, the health minister has now decided to spend more money, devote more resources and tie up more doctors and nurses with another Nightingale Hospital at Whiteabbey.

“In the meantime, on a weekly basis, I am being approached by people who require kidney transplants, hip operations and cancer treatment who find that the waiting lists are increasing.

“In one particular area of healthcare, waiting lists have soared from four weeks to 84 weeks.

“Patients cannot get appointments with their GPs, some of whom have been reallocated to Covid wards where they have little or no work to do because of our success in tackling the virus.

“Yet on a daily basis, the health minister gives the impression that the only priority he has is to spend money and devote resources to Covid, while at the same time putting out statements which rather than give people confidence to return to shops, to work and to school, give the impression that to put your nose outside the door is almost to invite immediate death.

“When is Robin Swann going to realise that there are hundreds of thousands of people who have medical problems other than Covid?

“When is he going to start to address the very real health problems which face people across Northern Ireland and when is he going to realise deaths from these illnesses have just as huge an impact on families as deaths from Covid?

“The truth of the matter is we have a virus, we have to learn to live with it, but we cannot close down our country because of it.”

The counter-statement from the UUP pulled no punches.

In it, Mr Stewart said: “Sammy Wilson needs to step back from his increasingly bizarre public statements.

“The health minister is actually leading a major rebuilding drive to re-establish hospital services, while still being vigilant about the continuing threat from Covid-19.

“In a week when the virus has claimed several lives, Sammy Wilson’s Covid-denial comments are both highly inaccurate and deeply offensive.

“Whilst most people will see his comments as nothing other than churlish and ill-informed, there is a danger for some that Sammy Wilson’s comments could undermine public health messaging at this critical time.

“Every time we see and hear irresponsible comments and actions from elected representatives, it makes it more difficult to lower the rate of infections so that people can go about their normal business including supporting the local economy.

“The East Antrim MP also bizarrely seems to be criticising Robin Swann for establishing a second Nightingale hospital, the purpose of which is actually to ease the pressure on the health service in the event of a second surge.

“Would he rather we didn’t plan and run the risk of not having enough capacity in the local system and all the incredibly serious consequences that would come with such an event?

“He’s probably also the only politician that would argue against more hospital beds coming to the front door of his own constituency.

“If Sammy Wilson would get on the same page as his party colleagues in the Assembly and the Executive he would realise the severity of the situation we now face.

“With his constant attacks on Covid restrictions, Sammy Wilson conveniently forgets that these restrictions were agreed by an Executive headed by his party leader.

“But maybe that’s what is really motivating him. Maybe his thwarted DUP leadership ambitions are still festering in Sammy’s closet?”