Spot the difference
The South Belfast MP Dr Alasdair McDonnell is rightly exercised about the burning of four cars in the Holyland area of his constituency. But from the look of two statements he issued today on the matter he had to engage in a bit of thinking on his feet about who to blame.
At 9.30 am he described the arson attacks as "the last straw for hard pressed residents...We may not yet know precisely who was responsible, but it can only be seen as a deadly escalation of the pattern of abuse of residents by drunken young people, mainly students, living in multiple-occupation houses in the area.....The students are only back a week. The universities need to step up to the mark and recognize the sheer enormity of this problem and their own pivotal role in finding a solution."
But by lunchtime the doctor gave students a cleaner bill of health. "It is now becoming clear that students were the immediate victims of the arson attacks in the Holyland" the MP explained. "I understand an arrest has been made. This terrible event just underlines that life in the Holyland can be intolerable for everyone, including many hardworking students who play no part in the late-night carousing and vandalism."
Memo to Queen's Politics students. A day can be a long time in local politics.
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Memo to rent-a-quote politician... don't let your tounge go into free wheel without finding out the facts.
Glad to see we have a politician who is honest enought to admit when he is wrong. We need more honesty and courage like this. Well down the good Doctor.
Having said that, the behaviour of students in the Holyland generally makes it difficult for even the residents to believe that this type of criminal behaviour isn't down to the students. A simple mistake rectified.
"This terrible event just underlines that life in the Holyland can be intolerable for everyone, including many hardworking students who play no part in the late-night carousing and vandalism."
He's right of course, but how does he know these particular students played no part in the "late-night carousing and vandalism"?