John O’Dowd’s remark that his party would ‘put manners’ on public servants has brought a sharp rebuke from NIPSA:
General secretary John Corey, said all civil and public servants were “bound by strict codes of conduct requiring integrity, impartiality and honesty” and added that there was a complaints procedure for anyone who was dissatisfied with their conduct.
“All civil and public servants are bound by strict codes of conduct requiring integrity, impartiality and honesty. Civil servants are accountable to ministers of the day or to the elected authorities and not to individual political parties,” he added.
During a radio interview yesterday (Wednesday) Mr O’Dowd described Chief Constable Hugh Orde and the police as public servants.
“The public elects politicians to ensure public servants are answerable, ” the Upper Bann assembly member added.
“It is the role of every political party to put manners on public servants. It is Sinn Féin’s intention to put manners on the entire civil service, to anyone who is there working for the community and the people… they need to be ensuring they understand one thing, they are there working for the people.”
Does this sounds like a party ready to impose Prime Minister Brown’s cuts?
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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