The Rev Ian Paisley regularly calls for people to be arrested. The Big Man
would clearly like to see Sinn Féin and IRA leaders behind bars, along with
every alleged law-breaker from Bushmills to Bessbrook.
One suspects he wouldn't be opposed to a few of us "Romanist" journalists
spending a night or two in a prison cell either. It would toughen us up,
he'd undoubtedly say.
After all, Dr Paisley has himself been a guest of Her Majesty and it never
did him any harm. The DUP leader's latest target wasn't a Shinner or a
journalist though. It was none other than Denis Bradley, the vice-chairman
of the Policing Board who made controversial comments earlier this week.
But Dr Paisley didn't want the PSNI to do the deed. Rather, he wanted our
very mild-mannered Secretary of State, Paul Murphy, to make the "arrest".
Mr Murphy is a devout Catholic.
Sources say that at a meeting with him on Monday, Dr Paisley jokingly
reminded the Secretary of State that he was a papal knight who had authority
over Mr Bradley, a former Catholic priest. The DUP leader insisted this
included the power of arrest.
Mr Murphy is said to have politely declined the request to exercise any such
authority he might or might not have and Mr Bradley is still at liberty.
Whether Dr Paisley will now take up the matter with John Paul himself,
remains to be seen. Dublin has been visited, Rome awaits!
