https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8ry99eek9o

The Army has pulled out a jobs fair in Londonderry following opposition from nationalist councillors.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) had initially registered as an employer for the event in the council-owned Foyle Arena leisure centre on Tuesday but confirmed on Monday that the Army would not have a stall there.

Sinn Féin, the SDLP and a number of independent councillors said the armed forces would not be welcome at the event.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson called that opposition "a complete failure of political leadership".

"While we are disappointed that the British Army will not be allowed to join other organisations at Foyle Arena leisure centre next Tuesday, we accept the decision," a MoD spokesperson said.

A row erupted last week at Derry City and Strabane District Council over whether the Army should attend the event.

Sinn Féin's Christopher Jackson and the SDLP's Brian Tierney were among the councillors to oppose the military attending the event.

Jackson said his party "fully opposed" it and Tierney said there were "ample opportunities" elsewhere for anyone wishing to join the armed forces.
Gavin Robinson has grey hair and black-rimmed glasses in a dark jacket and white shirt.Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

Gavin Robinson accused nationalist parties of double standards

Some unionist councillors defended the MoD registering as an employer for the event, which is jointly run by the Department for Communities (DfC).

Robinson accused nationalist parties of double standards, saying those who "talk most loudly about equality and discrimination" were seeking to deny young people the right to hear about a career option.

"No-one will be conscripted or press-ganged into the Army by attending this fair," he said.

Speaking after a meeting of the NI Executive at Stormont Castle last week, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said the opposition by some councillors was born out of "hostility to the Army".

"It's preventing people from hearing about opportunities that are there," he said.

"Many of their own constituents will want to hear about the jobs that are available."

Derry and Strabane Council said the "steer" from elected members of the governance and strategic planning committee last week had been communicated to the DfC and it would be making no further comment.

by ImNotSureIAgree

22 comments

  2. Good, they should have never been there after their horrid history here.

  4. Cheerio. Don’t let the door smack you on the arse on the way out.

  5. Absolutely ridiculous, it’s a jobs and careers fair they have every right to be there! I’m sure if the Irish army had have applied they would have been allowed. The left only want what the left want – nobody else has a voice.

  7. Hot Take – the only people who will be majorly pissed off about them pulling out of the job fair will be the ones who love to play toy soldier but would never have the balls to sign up themselves and serve for their country.

  8. “The Army has pulled out a jobs fair in Londonderry following opposition from nationalist councillors”

    Where?

  9. Makes sense. The people annoyed about this are tone deaf as fuck or are playing politics. Fact is the British army did some terrible things here and a lot of people who suffered at their hands are still alive as well as much of the brits who did some of the bad stuff here, protected by the army and government to this day.

  10. Life sure does come at you fast. This time last week Michelle O’neill was on the news telling us we need to try harder with hate etc

  11. I’m sure if they’re that upset they’ll lead by example and enlist themselves

  12. Yeah best just to avoid this one before someone causes a scene lol

  13. If I was at a jobs fair and saw the army there I would just go home lol

  15. It’s like all these wee black sheep “brits” have forgotten their culture of being work shy, draft dodgers. I guarantee, they are all either too old to join, or in such poor physical shape that they would be rejected. You lot are only good for playing dress up in your wee mock military parades.

    The TA army base is only a few doors up the road. Call in today, to become the best you can be, lads! It’s open 5 days a week for just that.

  18. How bad have times got for the British forces that they want to recruit in a city that hates them. They should just disband and save young Brits the horror of being maimed and killed in Americas wars

  20. Another culture war skirmish that changes nothing.

    Let’s be real, the Army recruiting in Derry was always gonna be a tough sell, the army disgraced itself in that city more than anywhere else in this country and if people still gurn about the famine after 180 years you can be sure it’ll be a long time before those memories fade. That’s just the reality of our history and peoples perceptions, you can’t just parachute in a BA recruitment stall and expect people have forgotten the likes of Bloody Sunday, or decades of heavy handedness and mistreatment on the streets. It doesn’t matter how many leaflets they hand out, the brand is toxic there and will be for generations. Whoever thought this was a good idea must have a brain that audibly farts.

    The only winners here are Big Gavin and the DUP and Derry SF who now have something else to shout at each other about and keep the rest of us at it too.

  21. Hm, why would the British Army be controversial in Derry? 

  22. The fact that they don’t see an issue with the British army sending recruiters in just shows how wilfully ignorant they are. 

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