The chief of Northern Eire’s Ulster Unionist Social gathering (UUP) says he’ll let his colleagues resolve whether or not or not he ought to resign following a row over numerous historic tweets.
Doug Beattie, who was elected chief in Might, was accused of racism and misogyny when previous tweets, written earlier than he entered politics, resurfaced.
They got here to gentle after Mr Beattie, a former military captain, posted a separate joke tweet on Saturday through which he referenced the spouse of a political rival and a brothel.
The historic tweets included derogatory feedback about ladies, Muslims, members of the travelling group and folks with psychological well being points.
The Higher Bann MLA admitted that the posts have been “fairly horrific” and that he was “deeply ashamed” of them. He denied being a racist or a misogynist.
“I’ll communicate to my MLA group right this moment and I’ll communicate to my social gathering officers by means of my chairman Danny Kennedy and if both group feels I ought to step down, then I’ll,” he advised BBC Radio Ulster on Tuesday.
“Likewise, in the event that they suppose I ought to refer myself to the social gathering govt or the broader council on a vote of no confidence then I shall do this as properly and the social gathering will resolve whether or not or not they will comply with my management.”
Requested how shut he got here to resigning, Mr Beattie added: “On the cusp. I’ve just a few very shut buddies who rang me – as a result of I had withdrawn – and gave me recommendation.
“I supplied my resignation and folks mentioned, ‘Let’s interact and see the place we go’.”
Mr Beattie steered the “darkish and black humour” he used might have been a “coping” mechanism and reflective of him being “desensitised” by battlefield experiences.
“My psychological well being has been affected by what I’ve seen and what I’ve achieved,” he mentioned.
Mr Beattie insisted he’s not utilizing that potential clarification as an “excuse” for his tweets.
“I do not need anyone to suppose I am giving an excuse as a result of I’m merely not, it was mistaken and I’m deeply sorry,” he mentioned.
He mentioned he was asking his social gathering for a second probability.
“Whether or not or not my social gathering feels that I’m the chief who can lead them into the election and past shall be their determination and I’ll abide by that call,” he mentioned.
“It the social gathering need me to remain I’ll nonetheless be the chief subsequent week, if they do not need me to remain I can’t be the social gathering chief subsequent week.”
He added: “I’m asking individuals to take a look at the particular person I’m now and never decide me on the particular person I used to be 10 years in the past.”
The furore erupted after Mr Beattie posted a joke on Twitter on Saturday night that referenced the spouse of a political rival and a brothel.
DUP Stormont minister Edwin Poots mentioned his spouse was “disgusted” by the joke.
Mr Beattie apologised for the publish and deleted it.
He reiterated that apology on the ground on the meeting on Monday, insisting he was “actually sorry”.
Nonetheless, the controversy then escalated after the main target turned to Mr Beattie’s historic conduct on Twitter.
Mr Beattie was defended by two feminine politicians in his social gathering, together with meeting election candidate for North Down, Naomi McBurney, who mentioned she revered Mr Beattie for what “he has delivered and might proceed to ship for Northern Eire”
A number of opposition events criticised Mr Beattie over the tweets.
Naomi Lengthy, chief of the Alliance Social gathering and the Stormont justice minister, mentioned she was “genuinely shocked at simply how casually misogynistic” the tweet about Mr Poots’s spouse was.
It might “have made many a Nineteen Seventies comedian blush”, she added.
The controversy has marked a dramatic flip of fortunes for Mr Beattie.
He posted the tweet on Saturday night hours after a newspaper opinion ballot indicated he was the most well-liked political chief in Northern Eire.
He mentioned his confidence had been rocked by the controversy and he had remoted himself from buddies and family members.
“I’ve to choose myself up and are available out of the shadows and face this head on,” he mentioned.
Kaynak: briturkish.com
