Yet again, loyalists define their “culture” through hatred, bitterness, grievance, a siege mentality and a complete lack of understanding of their history. In addition, from 1998, they have seamlessly moved from blaming one type of “F’s” for their problems to hating and blaming another type of “F” for the very same problems. The real issue is that these so-called loyalists should hold to account their political representatives who have failed them over decades, in fulfilling their role as advocates to deal with issues and grievances in these communities, of which there are many. These include a failing healthcare system, an educational and skills pathway, a range of public services and housing. This is all because we have a system of government that is not fit for purpose, within which levels of political ineptitude are hard to imagine.
This is all exacerbated when working-class protestants, let Jamie Bryson, whose only goal seems to be self-promotion, speak on their behalf, facilitated by our BBC Radio Ulster. Bryson on the radio programme insisted the effigy was an “act of artistic political protest,” arguing it was not illegal, even if “inevitably controversial. This is simply gobbledegook and anti migrant racism masquerading as political insight. Is this the guy working-class protestants want as their voice? I’m sure David Irvine, a working-class Protestant himself and a huge loss to all, is looking down and politely saying, “Seriously, People”. Bryson goes on to define bonfires as an expression of culture. Let me be clear, historic hatred and triumphalism that bonfires represent do not meet any definition of culture, either from my perspective or the Oxford Dictionary. He mentions Kneecap’s controversial statements, which I have criticised in a blog; however, in Jamie’s wee mind, two minuses equals a plus. Read my blog, Ctrl and click https://thegob.org/2025/05/10/knee-capping-yourself-not-a-good-idea/
I met David Irvine on several occasions; he saw through our history and truly wanted to look forward and create a new Northern Ireland where class and building social cohesion would be the new political dividing line. I have often said that the greatest political tragedy and myth in Northern Ireland’s political history is that working-class Billy was told he had nothing in common with the guy who was housed over the wall, working class Kevin, but had everything in common with upper middle class unionists from Hillsborough who lived on the other side of a set of beautifully pruned trees and hedgerows.
The effigy of the migrant boat on top of the bonfire in Moygashel has been condemned by all the major parties, though the DUP’s condemnation sounded like a light slap on the wrists. The rise of anti-migrant populism is in no small part due to the failure of government and governance at all levels. In respect of the migration issue, there is no coordinated public policy or multi-agency approach to integration, a key element of social cohesion. The integration obligation falls firstly on all public bodies and our political representatives, then on local and host communities, migrant communities, and refugees. I call it the three “I’s”: introduce, inform and integrate.
As a slight aside, I believe that BBC NI can hardly be called a news channel, as it continues to bring on political voices, many of whom can rightly be called political dinosaurs. It seems that insurgent thinking and new voices are not on the BBC’s radar. In terms of the print media, they suffer from something similar. The consequences are that the articles written by these old-school political commentators are targeted at readers they have schooled for decades. Editors on these so-called newspapers avoid challenging insurgent views like the plague and can no longer be described as a “newspaper”, probably closer to the other more useful paper. Finally, to my working-class protestant citizens, surely you can do a lot better than Jamie as your voice, it will be guys like him that will kill the Union, and do you really think he is interested in your futures?
Suneil Sharma
12th July 2025
The Gob 
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