Anger at Wilson Alzheimer's joke

Sammy Wilson made two references to the disease in the Assembly

An official complaint has been lodged about Environment Minister Sammy Wilson after he used references to Alzheimer's to brand other politicians forgetful.

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said he had made a complaint to the Speaker at Stormont.

He said: "This is not a matter of being politically correct, it is more about common decency and common sense."

Mr Wilson had told a debate: "Anyone in the House who does not know that I am a councillor on Belfast City Council must be suffering from Alzheimer's disease."

The DUP member made the remark earlier this week after being asked by a rival Assembly member to declare his political role as a councillor.

Letter

My mother and father, at the end of their lives, did not recognise any of us because of Alzheimer's - it wasn't meant to be offensive to families Sammy Wilson

In February, Mr Wilson made similar remarks during an exchange with Mr McGlone in the Assembly chamber, when the minister attacked his opponent over a letter sent to a local newspaper.

Mr Wilson said: "Perhaps Alzheimer's disease has set in. I will remind him of what is contained in the letter that he wrote to the newspaper..."

Mr McGlone, who chairs the Assembly Environment Committee, said Mr Wilson had "overstepped the mark".

"Many of us have been on the receiving end of his wit and repartee, some of us even enjoy his attempted put-downs, but we are well able to defend ourselves.

"It is a very different matter when he steps over the line and deliberately or unthinkingly uses language which can only cause offence to vulnerable people who are not in a position to defend themselves."

Mr Wilson accused Mr McGlone of rehashing his "lighthearted" remarks to make a "trite political point".

"My mother and father, at the end of their lives, did not recognise any of us because of Alzheimer's - sometimes people try to address the seriousness of this by trying to make light of it with loved ones rather than increasing their fear."

He added: "I don't regret making the remark because first of all, I didn't make it to be intentionally hurtful to people who have suffered from Alzheimer's, it was made in a context where people knew it was a lighthearted remark, and it didn't hurt anybody at the time.

"It was resurrected a month later by somebody seeking to make a political point from it."