Alliance Leader David Ford has accused South Antrim MP David Burnside of not looking at his ‘in’ tray before he leaps into emotive speeches concerning the PSNI Full Time Reserve.
Mr Ford was speaking after the News Letter (Feb 22) revealed Mr Burnside had received a letter stating that contracts for the FTR would be renewed later this year before he held a meeting with disillusioned officers on Wednesday.
Mr Ford said: “It is not unusual for anti-Agreement MPs to use the police as a political football, but at least Mr Burnside should get his facts straight before launching into emotive meetings.”
“While it is clear that the Government has failed to adequately resource the police, as Alliance pointed out in our recent Assembly debate on law and order, stirring up bad feeling while some progress is being made is not the correct way to deal with the matter.”
“Perhaps if Mr Burnside checked his ‘in’ tray before leaping to conclusions, the case for better policing would be better advanced.”
ENDS.