No confidence vote against council head

No confidence vote against council head

6 May 2015

THE new Sinn Fein chairwoman of Newry, Mourne and Down Council was expected to survive a vote of no confidence at last night’s first full meeting of the new super council.

DUP councillor Billy Walker brought the motion against Naomi Bailie after she attended an Easter Rising commemoration parade in Newry last month wearing her chain of office.

Councillor Walker strongly criticised her actions at the time, arguing that by wearing the chain to attend what was an overtly political event she was compromising the impartiality of the office of chairman. 

But Ms Bailie said she was formally invited to attend as council chair and followed the proper protocols in accepting and attending, dismissing the criticism as “petty playground politics”.

Mr Walker’s motion called for a vote of no confidence but did not goes as far as calling for Ms Bailie to step down. 

Speaking yesterday councillor Walker said he would be firstly calling for an apology from Ms Bailie, and only if this was not forthcoming would be proceed with the no confidence motion.

Mr Walker, who has invited Ms Bailie to the next Twelfth of July demonstration in Saintfield in her official capacity as council chairwoman, said that during his recent term in office as first citizen he made sure to act impartially.

He said if he had attended a Loyalist event wearing his chain of office “there would have been uproar”.

“When I was chairman last year, as a senior Orangeman I was called to wear my chain of office on the Twelfth of July,” said councillor Walker. “I took the decision not to wear it.”

Councillor Walker said he had no issue with Ms Bailie’s attendance at republican commemorative events but his issue was the wearing of the chain of office when she attended the Newry commemoration.

“In wearing the chain of office to a republican Easter Rising event in Newry she was not being representative of the whole community,” he said.

Mr Walker said previous Sinn Fein chairs and vice-chairs of the council during his lifetime had not acted in a similar vein when it came to official events, arguing that Ms Bailie had been “badly advised” or was “naive”.

“It is with regret that I bring this motion of no confidence against the chair, it gives me no pleasure whatsoever,” said councillor Walker.