Parades commissioner resigns after Drumcree case
PacemakerA member of the Parades Commission has resigned after a court case highlighted mistakes over its ruling on the Orange Order's Drumcree parade.
Billy Gamble had faced the most public criticism over private comments he is alleged to have made about the parade determination.
The chair of the Parades Commission, Prof Evelyn Collins, had said the comments were "out of line" but had no bearing on the decision-making process.
Unionist parties and the Orange Order have called for the commission to stand down, but Prof Collins has said she does not intend to resign.
"We will work hard to regain the trust of all sections of the community," she said.
Five members of the six-person commission remain in place.
A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson said the secretary of state had accepted Gamble's resignation and thanked him for his service.
"The secretary of state is determined to support the commission as it rebuilds the confidence of the whole community in its vital work," they added.
On Tuesday, the High Court quashed a decision to impose restrictions on the annual parade at Drumcree outside Portadown.
The Parades Commission had banned this year's parade from the Garvaghy Road - a move which reflected every decision it has made since 1998.
Speaking to Good Morning Ulster, Prof Collins said the commission accepted criticisms that have been made, but that rather than resign they were "very committed to fulfilling our responsibilities under the legislation, to completing our terms of office and to addressing and fixing the problems that have been identified".
Nigel Dawson, Portadown District Master for the Orange Order, told The Nolan Show he was in "disbelief" listening to Collins on Good Morning Ulster.
He said her position was "untenable" and that she "must take responsibility".
"[The Parades Commission] doesn't command the confidence of the loyal orders," he said.
"They don't command, I think, the confidence of the greater unionist community."
Dawson said the commission was "no longer fit for purpose", and that the reputations of those on the committee were in "tatters".
"They cannot class themselves as independent," he added.
Dawson said he has contacted the Secretary of State, Sir Chris Bryant, to request a meeting.
The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Claire Hanna said the mistakes made by the commission "were a complete mess", but that it should not mean people "ignore the progress of the last 25 years".
"Residents have a right not to be intimidated."
However, she added, "there will be resignations, and there should be resignations" within the commission.
Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister called on all members of the commission to resign.
"They're all culpable, and all of them, in consequence, must go," he said.
The DUP's Carla Lockhart has written to Collins after her interview on Good Morning Ulster and said: "Regrettably, you and your fellow Commissioners have lost the confidence of the entire unionist community. The interview this morning has only compounded matters."
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Jon Burrows said that "if the commissioners will not go the secretary of state must remove them".
First Minister Michelle O'Neill, who attended the Drumcree Community Centre on Wednesday and met residents said the community was "anxious by what they saw" on Tuesday.
Breandan Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition said the Orange Order parade "finished" in 1998 and it "will not be repeated".
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham was asked about the ruling during a visit to Northern Ireland on Thursday.
He said it was "not for me to say" whether members of the commission should resign over the controversy.
He acknowledged the stakes were high, but said the situation required "a calm and a measured approach".
"And that is what the government is taking, understanding the concerns of all communities," he added.
The Orange Order has confirmed it intends to apply for another Drumcree parade in the coming days and a "significant date" in the calendar may be chosen for the parade.
Dawson said the Orange Order was agreeable to mediation with Garvaghy Road residents but questioned whether they wanted to engage in discussions.
A representative of a residents' group said there would be no point in discussions if the Orange Order had a "pre-determined outcome".
PacemakerWho are the Parades Commission?
The current commission was appointed from January 2024 on a three-year term.
Prof Collins is a former chair of the Equality Commission.
The others are Derek Wilson, a former banker, Billy Gamble, a former senior civil servant, Nicola Rountree, a barrister, Rachel Quigley, a solicitor and Pauline Leeson, a social worker.
According to the last annual report, the chair is paid between £50,000 and £55,000 while the other commissioners earn between £20,000 and £25,000.
The chair is expected to devote one to two days per week to the work of the commission.
Commissioners are expected to devote approximately one day per week to commission business over the course of a year, with a proportionately greater commitment required April to August.
When did the Drumcree dispute begin?
In 1998, the Parades Commission ruled that the Orange Order should not march down Portadown's Garvaghy Road on the end leg of its annual march from Drumcree Church.
It was a move that sparked some of the most serious public disorder in Northern Ireland's history and led to a decades-long parading dispute.
Stand-offs continued in subsequent years as members of the Order walked to police barricades in protest at the restrictions. Protests were also held by residents living along the Garvaghy Road.
PacemakerThe High Court was told on Tuesday that the commission conceded the case last week and requested the court quash its determination before a full hearing.
The commission conceded a procedural error in how it dealt with the annual application for permission to walk along the Garvaghy Road.
Not all six members of the public authority had signed off on the final determination before it was issued last month.
Lawyers representing the local Orangeman claimed the commission's latest decision unlawfully breached his rights to freedom of belief, expression and peaceful assembly under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Lawyers for the applicant also argued that Garvaghy Road residents had refused talks with the Orange Order and the commission breached legislation by making it "a pre-requisite to a parade".
The Parades Commission said it "welcomes scrutiny and accountability".