Green party councillor is reinstated

Green party councillor is reinstated

16 November 2011

A DOWNPATRICK councillor, suspended from his party over a funding dispute, has been reinstated.

Cadogan Enright is once more a full member of the Green Party following an intervention by the National Executive of the Green Party in Dublin.

This led the Belfast-based regional Green Party to withdraw the suspension imposed last month, which they had described as an “internal disciplinary matter”.

Councillor Enright said the dispute arose over his decision to continue to financially contribute to the South Down Green Party rather than the Northern Ireland Executive of the party. He said contributing funds locally had been the tradition, but that since April party policy on the issue had changed.

Councillor Enright welcomed his reinstatement and remains critical of the party leadership in Northern Ireland.

“As a busy councillor involved in many campaigns across South Down, I can ill afford time wasted by silly infighting not related to the needs of my constituents or the Green agenda,” he said. “I thank local members for their overwhelming support in South Down and was uplifted by expressions of support from Greens across the country.”

Mr. Enright added that he was “very annoyed” about being prevented from speaking at the recent AGM of the Northern Ireland party on the subject of the Good Friday Agreement.

“I believe that it is a complete distraction for the Green Party to get involved in discussions about what bits of the Good Friday Agreement we support and which we don’t,” he said.

“Our supporters voted for the Agreement like everyone else, and I remain a passionate supporter of the Agreement. I will resist any attempts by the local executive to try and make us a green version of the Alliance party that claims to be a cross-community party, but opposes all the key aspects of the agreement favourable to one community.”

Retired Green Party councillors Bill Corry and Raymond Blaney also expressed support for councillor Enright during his recent suspension.

“The Northern Ireland Green Party have disgraced themselves in their behaviour,” said Mr. Blaney. “Bill Corry and I, and the overwhelming majority of other local Greens, support Cadogan in this matter.”