Sitting suspended as Wilson challenges Trimble's language

The North's Assembly was temporarily suspended yesterday after Mr Sammy Wilson (DUP) repeatedly interrupted the Minister of Culture…

The North's Assembly was temporarily suspended yesterday after Mr Sammy Wilson (DUP) repeatedly interrupted the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Mr Michael McGimpsey.

Mr Wilson was protesting against the Speaker's decision not to take punitive action against the former first minister, Mr David Trimble, for his use of unparliamentary language.

Mr Trimble had last week called Mr Wilson's party colleague, the Minister of Regional Development, Mr Gregory Campbell, a "political coward".

Mr Wilson had himself been effectively banned from speaking in the chamber following his reference seven weeks ago to the Sinn Fein Education Minister, Mr Martin McGuinness, as "the commander".

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The Speaker, Lord Alderdice, ruled yesterday that the word "coward" was unparliamentary, but as Mr Trimble had attempted to qualify the remark he did not propose to take any retrospective action.

Despite being refused leave to speak, Mr Wilson told the Speaker: "You have shown remarkable leniency in this particular case."

Lord Alderdice threatened to have Mr Wilson ejected from the chamber as he continued to talk over Mr McGimpsey.

"It is perfectly clear that the member wishes to be thrown out. Therefore, I am closing these proceedings to a suspension," he said.

The suspension lasted 10 minutes.

Mr Wilson later lodged a motion of censure against the Speaker's office.

The Assembly's business committee, however, did not select the motion to be debated today, the last day before the Assembly's summer recess.

Speaking to The Irish Times, Mr Wilson accused the Speaker of inconsistency.

"I accepted the ban because I thought it would last for two or three weeks, but when it went to seven weeks, and when the Speaker then made a totally different ruling against another member who happened to attack a DUP Minister, I decided to lodge a motion of censure.

"There is clearly one rule for the First Minister and one rule for me," he said.