Lord Patten of Barnes addressed an audience in Belfast City Hall last night to mark the 20th anniversary of the Equality Commission and the NI Human Rights Commission.
He reminisced about his early days as under-secretary for the Northern Ireland Office in the early 1980s and an unintended confession to DUP leader Ian Paisley, the roots of his own complex sense of identity, and the day years later that Mo Mowlam phoned him and asked if he would chair the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, the most difficult role of his career but the one of which he’s most proud.
Speaking to Noel Thompson after his speech, and during Q&A with the audience, he touched on Hong Kong, his time as Governor in the lead up to the transfer of sovereignty to China as well as the current protests, and being chair of the BBC Trust during the Savile scandal.
Michael Wardlow finishes his eight years as chief commissioner at the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland today. Deputy chief commissioner Geraldine McGahey has been appointed as his successor.
Filmed by Alan Meban
Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs about cinema and theatre over at Alan in Belfast. A freelancer who writes about, reports from, live-tweets and live-streams civic, academic and political events and conferences. He delivers social media training/coaching; produces podcasts and radio programmes; is a FactCheckNI director; a member of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland; and a member of the Corrymeela Community.
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