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Iris Robinson

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Iris Robinson
MLA, MP
Spokesman for Health, Youth and Women
Assumed office
2001
LeaderPeter Robinson
Member of Parliament
for Strangford
Assumed office
7 June 2001
Preceded byJohn Taylor
Majority13,049 (35.2%)
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Strangford
Assumed office
25 June 1998
Preceded bynew assembly
Personal details
Born (1949-09-06) 6 September 1949 (age 74)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
NationalityBritish
Political partyDemocratic Unionist Party
SpousePeter Robinson
Websiteofficial website

Iris Robinson (born 6 September 1949 in Belfast as Iris Collins) is a Northern Ireland Unionist politician.

She is the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Member of the British parliament (MP) for Strangford, and was first elected in the 2001 general election, replacing Ulster Unionist Party MP, John Taylor. She was re-elected in the 2005 General Election.

She has previously been a councillor and Mayor of Castlereagh Borough Council, and was and continues to be a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford.

She is married to Peter Robinson, who is currently First Minister and the DUP leader, MP for Belfast East, Assembly member and a former Castlereagh councillor.

Robinson is a Born again Christian.[1]. She has publicly declared that it is "the duty of Government to uphold God's law"[2]

Controversy

Robinson was suspended from Stormont for a day on Monday 19th November 2007 after refusing to withdraw 'unparliamentary' comments she had made about the health minister, Michael McGimpsey.[3]

In June 2008, shortly after a homophobic attack on a gay man in the province, she made comments on the BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan Show offering to recommend homosexuals to psychiatric counselling.[4] While condemning the attack,[5] she said during the broadcast: "I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn away from what they are engaged in,". She went on to say "I'm happy to put any homosexual in touch with this gentleman and I have met people who have turned around and become heterosexuals." Mrs Robinson claimed that homosexuality was an "abomination" and it made her feel "sick" and "nauseous". In a subsequent interview following criticism of her comments, Mrs Robinson defended her views and denied prejudice against homosexuals, saying that "just as a murderer can be redeemed by the blood of Christ, so can a homosexual. ... If anyone takes issue, they're taking issue with the word of God." [6]

Her claims were rebuffed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, David McCartney from the Rainbow Project, Sinn Féin's Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane[7] and SDLP representatives including Equality Spokesperson, Dolores Kelly.[8][9]

She is now also under a police hate crime[10] investigation for those comments[11] as over 100[12] separate complaints have been made against her, including those by Andrew Muir, the vice chair of Gay and Lesbian across Down[11], a member of the South Belfast District Policing Partnership.[13] and by gay rights activist Robert Toner who believes his human rights were violated and complained to the Equality Commision. According to the Coalition on Sexual Orientation (CoSo), a gay advocacy group in Northern Ireland, the figure of over 100 complaints was provided to them by the police. Some of the complaints were made in person by members of the public visiting a local police station, and some were made via the PSNI website.[14][15]. Mrs Robinson again repeated her viewpoint in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 30 June 2008 when questioned by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey[16][17] in a discussion about "LGBT Groups: Mental-Health Needs".

Further controversy was caused on 17th July 2008 when Robinson phoned in to the Stephen Nolan Show[18] debating the issue of abortion ever becoming legal in Northern Ireland and asserted that "It is the government's responsibility to uphold God's law". She also accused Stephen Nolan on air of "peddling lies" and "misrepresenting her comments" on previous editions of the show regarding homosexuality and of making sure that various newspapers misrepresented her views.

Iris' latest claim, made in the Belfast Telegraph newspaper, is that “There can be no viler act, apart from homosexuality and sodomy, than sexually abusing innocent children.”[19].

References

  1. ^ "Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, House of Commons". TheyWorkForYou. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-16. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ The Stephen Nolan Show, BBC Radio Ulster, 17 July 2008 http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/nolan/phonecallarchive/
  3. ^ Robinson ordered out of Stormont, BBC News, November 19 2007, accessed June 07, 2008
  4. ^ Listen to broadcast from show archives, accessed 06 June 2008
  5. ^ Tony Grew "MP reacts to homophobic assault by suggesting "ex-gay" therapy for victim", Pink News, 6 June 2008. Retrieved on 8 June 2008.
  6. ^ Attack victim lambasts Robinson
  7. ^ 'Gay counselling' call rejected, BBC News, June 06, 2008, accessed June 07, 2008
  8. ^ Kelly Condemns Homophobic Robinson, SDLP
  9. ^ McDermott Slams Robinsons Homophobic Remarks, SDLP
  10. ^ The Irish News - Iris Robinson accused of ‘hate crime’
  11. ^ a b Belfast Telegraph - Police probe Iris Robinson’s ‘gay’ remarks
  12. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/ethics/
  13. ^ BBC News - New criticism over MP's gay views
  14. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/ethics/
  15. ^ Belfast Telegraph - Man suing Iris Robinson over her comments on gays
  16. ^ http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/record/reports2007/080630.htm
  17. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7482263.stm
  18. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markdevenport/
  19. ^ http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/iris-gays-more-vile-than-child-abusers-13913517.html


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