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| Arlene Foster accepts invitation to lead Orange Order parade | Arlene Foster accepts invitation to lead Orange Order parade |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The leader of the DUP, Arlene Foster, has accepted an invitation to lead an Orange Order parade in Scotland at the end of June. | The leader of the DUP, Arlene Foster, has accepted an invitation to lead an Orange Order parade in Scotland at the end of June. |
| Robert McLean, the executive officer at The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, confirmed that Foster would be attending the Boyne march in Cowdenbeath, Fife, on 30 June. | |
| McLean said: “Arlene Foster is the guest speaker and will be at the front of the parade. She will be the main speaker on the platform.” He said that around 5000 Orange Order members were expected to participate from across Fife and Lothian on the day. | |
| McLean added that is was not unusual for Northern Irish politicians to join in Scottish events, noting that the former Northern Ireland first minister Peter Robinson had attended an Orange Order event in Ayrshire when he was leading the DUP. | |
| With about 50,000 members and 600 lodges across Scotland, the Orange Order is a predominantly working-class organisation, strongest in the post-industrial areas across the central belt. | With about 50,000 members and 600 lodges across Scotland, the Orange Order is a predominantly working-class organisation, strongest in the post-industrial areas across the central belt. |
| The Protestant fraternity, which is vehemently opposed to Scottish independence, is a familiar sight during the summer marching season, which will culminate this year two parades of pipe and drum bands wearing full regalia on 7 July, with 8,000 expected in Glasgow and 12,000 in Shotts, North Lanarkshire. | |
| Dave Scott, director of Scotland’s anti-sectarian charity Nil by Mouth, described Foster’s decision as “unprecedented”. | Dave Scott, director of Scotland’s anti-sectarian charity Nil by Mouth, described Foster’s decision as “unprecedented”. |
| Scott told the Guardian: “While Arlene Foster is perfectly entitled to attend, address or lead any legal gathering she wishes this is a pretty unprecedented thing to happen in Scottish loyalism and will be viewed as highly significant by both friend and foe of the Orange Order here.” | Scott told the Guardian: “While Arlene Foster is perfectly entitled to attend, address or lead any legal gathering she wishes this is a pretty unprecedented thing to happen in Scottish loyalism and will be viewed as highly significant by both friend and foe of the Orange Order here.” |
| “For its supporters this visit will be seen as providing validation to the legitimacy of the Order to play a part in public life. To its many opponents it will be seen as a politician who is becoming increasingly marginalised in Northern Ireland trying to remain visible and crudely playing to her political base by pitching up in Nicola Sturgeon’s patch”. | “For its supporters this visit will be seen as providing validation to the legitimacy of the Order to play a part in public life. To its many opponents it will be seen as a politician who is becoming increasingly marginalised in Northern Ireland trying to remain visible and crudely playing to her political base by pitching up in Nicola Sturgeon’s patch”. |
| “Arlene Foster has shared power with Republicans over most of the last decade so it will be interesting to hear if she chooses to reflect on that experience in any public statements she might make in Scotland and how that is received by her audience. Northern Irish politics has always been dominated by symbolism so there can be little doubt that Ms Foster wants to make some sort of point with this trip.” | “Arlene Foster has shared power with Republicans over most of the last decade so it will be interesting to hear if she chooses to reflect on that experience in any public statements she might make in Scotland and how that is received by her audience. Northern Irish politics has always been dominated by symbolism so there can be little doubt that Ms Foster wants to make some sort of point with this trip.” |
| Foster’s DUP has most recently been in the spotlight after calls for a referendum to relax abortion legislation in Northern Ireland, after last week’s landslide vote to liberalise Irish abortion law. | Foster’s DUP has most recently been in the spotlight after calls for a referendum to relax abortion legislation in Northern Ireland, after last week’s landslide vote to liberalise Irish abortion law. |
| But Theresa May signalled that she would not risk alienating her DUP allies, who currently prop up her minority government, by letting MPs settle the matter with a parliamentary vote. | But Theresa May signalled that she would not risk alienating her DUP allies, who currently prop up her minority government, by letting MPs settle the matter with a parliamentary vote. |
| Arlene Foster | Arlene Foster |
| Democratic Unionist party (DUP) | Democratic Unionist party (DUP) |
| Scotland | Scotland |
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