Controversy Ignites: DUP Councillor's Suspension Over Offensive Comments on Youth Tournament

A Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) councillor, Clement Cuthbertson, has been suspended for three months due to inappropriate comments concerning a kids’ GAA tournament. The remarks came from a Facebook post Cuthbertson made three years ago about the Francie Hughes Memorial Tournament, which he mistakenly believed honored an IRA hunger striker. The Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner (NILGC) ruled that his comments were ”inaccurate, unacceptable and offensive”.

Originally, Cuthbertson criticized the GAA for idolizing convicted terrorists, reflecting his misconception about the tournament’s namesake. This post was later deleted upon realization of the inaccuracy. In hearings, Commissioner Ian Gordon noted that when Cuthbertson had the chance to express regret or apologize to the family of Mr. Hughes or fellow councillors, he opted not to do so.

The investigation concluded that Cuthbertson had violated two parts of the conduct code: failing to show respect and consideration for others and bringing his position as a councillor into disrepute. However, the ruling acknowledged that he had no prior history of code breaches and had cooperated with the investigation. The DUP has yet to provide any comments regarding this matter.