There’s a new play park in a Ballymena housing estate. It’s a modest but meaningful development for local families — the kind of infrastructure that, though small in the grand scheme of government, can make a real difference in people’s everyday lives.
But what should have been a simple moment of celebration quickly descended into something all too familiar in Northern Irish politics: a race for credit. Various councillors turned up for photo ops — that’s nothing new — but some local representatives, in particular, took things several steps further, suggesting they had been instrumental in delivering the project. The problem? They weren’t.
No involvement in planning. No lobbying of council departments. No role in funding. Nothing of substance, except the gall to appear in the pictures and claim success. This wasn’t just an exaggeration — it was a misrepresentation. And among those who were genuinely involved — officers, community activists, and councillors from other parties — there was real anger.
But perhaps most concerning is the fact that this kind of behaviour is becoming routine.
This isn’t an attack on one individual or even one party. It’s part of a wider, worrying trend in our political culture. Style over substance. PR over performance. Headlines over hard graft.
In recent weeks, even some MLAs have started publicly voicing their frustration. An Alliance MLA recently cut through the noise on social media, lamenting what they described as the relentless flood of photos from elected representatives who appear to “deliver little but claim a lot.” The comments struck a chord because they reflected what many in the public already sense: that political energy is being diverted into performance instead of progress.
The issue is not that politicians communicate — that’s part of the job — but that some seem to be doing little else. When a press release is issued before a proposal is written, or when the photo is taken before the work is even done, something is seriously broken.
Let’s be honest. Government here, both local and regional, has struggled to deliver on the big issues. Infrastructure is crumbling, health waiting lists are growing, and housing development is blocked by a wastewater system no one seems willing to fix. Yet for all the lack of delivery, the photos keep coming.
What message does that send to the public? That spin is more valuable than service? That we should be grateful for press statements and ignore the lack of tangible change?
The bar for what counts as “delivery” in Northern Ireland politics is now so low, you could trip over it. Pose beside a pothole, issue a tweet about “calling it out,” and then move on to the next photo. Meanwhile, communities wait. Patients wait. Businesses wait. And nothing really changes.
I’m not naive. Politics has always involved a bit of theatre. But when that theatre becomes the main event — when the dressing room replaces the council chamber — we have a serious problem.
What’s worse is that this behaviour erodes trust, not just in the guilty parties, but in the whole political system. When credit is falsely claimed, the people who actually did the work — often cross-party councillors, civil servants, or community volunteers — are sidelined. And when everyone looks like they’re spinning, voters tune out entirely, or as frequently the case here, just resort to the same old orange and green comfort zones!
So where do we go from here?
We start by demanding more. We stop rewarding false narratives with likes and retweets. We scrutinise delivery claims and ask for evidence. And we encourage political representatives who are actually doing the work — quietly, without the need for constant self-promotion — to keep going and to speak up.
Elected office is a privilege. It’s not a modelling contract or a marketing gig. If you didn’t help deliver something, don’t pretend you did. Stand down from the spotlight and let those who actually worked for the community take a well-earned bow.
We deserve more than photo shoots and platitudes. We deserve honesty, accountability, and delivery with depth. If the parties and politicians can’t offer that, maybe they’re the ones who should consider stepping out of the frame.
Eugene Reid is a keen observer of all things business and politics. A former elected representative who has had a career working across the private, public and voluntary sectors! Bringing a unique perspective from a diverse and varied background.
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