Parties must be held to account for the culture they foster

Workers Party North Belfast representative Chris Bailie has condemned last night’s arson attack on a flat in the Ligoniel area and warned against complacency in underestimating the levels and causes of sectarianism in Northern Ireland society.

“This was  a vile  attack which could easily have resulted in serious injury or death”, Chris said.

“While it is important to denounce these types of incidents it is also important that we do not simple go through the motions of  condemning them and forgetting about the  underlying culture  which feeds them”.

“Over 2,000 sectarian incidents and crimes were recorded last year”, said Chris.

“Given that our political  structures and major parties are based on, and are sustained by, sectarian division that figure is not surprising. Tackling sectarianism in society is a major and pressing issue  but it is not one that will be solved by ‘cross community’ initiatives – important as many of them are  – or by token gestures”

“Northern Ireland society needs to be reformed from the top down and those parties which trade in  sectarianism and division must be held to account for the culture which they foster”, Chris concluded.