in the interests of the greater good of the commission

The BBC report that the Parades Commission chairman, Roger Poole, has issued a statement saying that David Burrows has resigned from the Orange Order. Apparently, no statement yet on the Commission’s website, Roger Poole said the move was “designed to remove any element of doubt” about his[David Burrows] position. *shakes head* But if they really believed that then he wouldn’t be stepping outside when any parade was being discussed, would he? With the Appeal Court denying leave to take the case to the House of Lords, no doubt the hope in some quarters is that this is an end to the controversy.. but as far as I’m concerned, and I suspect many others, Eamonn McCann’s point still stands.From the BBC report:

The commission said it had taken account of the judgements of the courts.

It said it was “conscious” that Mr Burrows’ association with the Portadown lodge meant he could not “participate fully in all of the commission’s deliberations, activities and decision making processes”.

The commission said in a statement that Mr Burrows would not play any part in its deliberations on parades in Portadown, “in the interests of fairness and transparency”.

And a reminder of Eamonn McCann’s assessment:

The fact that what happened may have been within the law shouldn’t be allowed to obscure the political truth of the matter, that the NIO has polluted a public appointments procedure by engaging in a cynical, dishonest, sectarian and incompetent exercise designed to lure the Loyal Orders into acceptance of the commission.