Gordon Lyons defends social media comments on Larne Leisure Centre: ‘I tried to diffuse the situation’
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has defended comments he made about Larne Leisure Centre housing individuals displaced by rioting.
Mr Lyons is facing a backlash over comments made on social media hours before the building was set alight.
SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole has said he will refer the DUP MLA to the Assembly’s Standards Commissioner.
But Mr Lyons today insisted his post was intended to diffuse the situation.
In a social media post on Wednesday Mr Lyons said: “It has been brought to my attention that a number of individuals were temporarily moved to Larne Leisure Centre in the early hours of the morning following the disturbances in Ballymena.
“As a local MLA for the area, neither I nor my DUP Council colleagues were made aware or consulted on this decision until late this afternoon.
“It has now been confirmed to us by the PSNI and Council that all these individuals are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne.
“Protesting is of course a legitimate right, but violence is not, and I would encourage everyone to remain peaceful.”
The centre later was set ablaze following vandalism at the facility on the third night of disorder.
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council said the facility had been designated as an emergency rest centre for those in urgent need following disturbances in nearby Ballymena, but the families had been safely relocated elsewhere.
Police and firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control on Wednesday night and said no one was inside at the time it broke out.
On Thursday Mr Lyons defended his decision to post the information on social media.
“There is an attempt here to make it sound like I was trying to highlight the fact that this was being used and this is where people should go, it was the complete opposite,” he told the BBC’s Nolan show.
“I was highlighting the fact that, yes this had been used and it was going to be the focus of the protest, but it shouldn’t be because the rumours that were circulating were incorrect and no one was in fact there, so I wanted to try and disperse people from going there.
“On reflection the die had already been cast, I tried to diffuse the situation.
“I had appealed for calm in that statement as I wanted calm heads to prevail, that includes politicians using this to try and score points.
“I have been very clear, it was a despicable scene we seen at the leisure centre and those people should be ashamed of themselves.”
Mr Lyons condemned the damage inflicted on Larne Leisure Centre and said it only serves to hurt residents of the town.
He said: “The violence and disorder witnessed on our streets over recent nights serves no purpose. Wanton destruction such as the attack on Larne Leisure Centre is an attack on all residents who use the facility.
“There is absolutely no excuse for what has taken place in Larne, and it must be condemned.”
Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole said he will refer the minister to the Standards Commissioner.
The standards commissioner is responsible for investigating complaints about alleged breaches of the code of conduct by MLAs.
“The actions of the Communities Minister cannot be ignored,” Mr O’Toole said.
“He is the minister response for the Housing Executive and lives are at stake.”
“Tomorrow (Thursday) the Opposition will refer him to the standards commissioner and explore all other options for accountability.”
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, said on BBC Good Morning Ulster that Mr Lyons should “reflect” on what he said.
Mr Lyons responded by saying that he should “have a bit more sense” than to weigh in on the issue.
"The Secretary of State is a very experienced politician and I would have thought he would have had a bit more sense than to make public comment on this when he is not in full possession of the facts,” he said.
"I think it was outrageous for him to weigh in, he hasn’t been in contact with me to find out what actually happened.”
Deirdre Hargey, a former Communities Minister, said on X: “Your job as Communities Minister, responsible for housing, is to stand up for families who had to urgently flee their homes after being attacked by thugs and to offer them support and safety. It’s not to expose emergency centres and those same families. Shameful statement.”
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons faces being referred to an Assembly watchdog over a social media post about Larne Leisure Centre which was later attacked
Police deal with a third night of violence in Ballymena
Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew, who chairs the Stormont committee that scrutinises Mr Lyons’ department, called his media post “reckless and inflammatory”.
"At a time when vulnerable families are seeking safety, as minister for communities and housing, he should have been working to help those most in need,” he said.
"However his comments were reckless and inflammatory.
"Leadership should show responsibility — not feed into the fear of the vulnerable.
"Everyone deserves to live free from violence and hate.
"I will be raising the Minister's post at the Communities Committee today."
Alliance MLA Eoin Tennyson said that the social media post by the communities minister “was reckless and completely irresponsible”.
He added: “No politician should be publicly identifying locations used to shelter to families seeking refuge from violent, racist disorder; even if only temporarily.”
Green Party councillor Áine Groogan called for the minister to resign.
“What did he think would happen when he posted his earlier statement about a community centre in Larne being used to house people that had no accommodation after being intimidated out of their homes,” she said.
"Can Gordon Lyons stand over this statement in light of what happened next?
"This is the Minister for Communities, someone with the power and responsibility to invest in regeneration, reduce the social housing waiting list, and support vulnerable communities. Instead, he chooses to stir division and deflect from his own failures.
"This isn't leadership. It’s cowardice. And it proves what many already know: Gordon Lyons is unfit for public office and should resign.”
Selena Gomez jokes that her sister loves Taylor Swift more than her while celebrating her birthday with touching moments and shared memories
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
LONDON (AP) — Brighton has signed teenage forward Charalampos Kostoulas, who gave up a Champions League season with Olympiakos to play in the Premier League. The 18-year-old Kostoulas signed a five-ye...
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 — Brighton has signed teenage forward Charalampos Kostoulas, who gave up a Champions League season with Olympiakos to play in the Premier League. The 18-year-old Kostoulas signed a five-ye... %23charalamposkostoulas) |
|
|
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Tottenham Hotspur have a new head coach but one of their biggest players appeared to be keen to divert the focus elsewhere
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Thomas Frank has revamped Tottenham’s backroom team after being appointed as the club’s new manager.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
EastEnders fans were over the moon when it was reported Michelle Ryan would be reprising her role as Zoe Slater, as they think they've 'worked out' her return storyline
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., was forcibly removed from a Homeland Security press conference led by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The series stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro as father-daughter CIA operatives
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
talkSPORT.com has all the latest news, views and reaction from the world of football. Tottenham have officially announced that Thomas Frank has succeeded Ange Postecoglou as their new manager. Mean…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Thomas Frank has signed a contract until the summer of 2028 as Tottenham head coach after leaving Brentford
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Liverpool and Manchester United to battle for Osimhen? | Leverkusen in for Quansah? | Milan keeping tabs on Zinchenko?
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twenty One Pilots have shared a brand-new single, 'The Contract', from their upcoming album 'Breach'. Listen here.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
A US senator from California, Alex Padilla was bundled out of a news conference being held by President Donald Trump’s homeland security chief, Kristi
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Next week's spoiler pictures!
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Dua Lipa confirms her engagement to Callum Turner and shares heartfelt details about the proposal and their future together.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.