The appointment of the DUP’s Sammy Wilson as Minister for the Environment in the Northern Ireland Executive is a clear statement to big business that environmental concerns will take second place to profits.

Wilson, a well-known climate change ‘sceptic’ and fan of nuclear power, announced that his tenure as environment minister would not be dominated by what he calls the ‘quasi-religion’ of those campaigning to reverse climate change. The irony of a DUP politician criticising others for being ‘quasi-religious’ is obviously lost on Wilson. ‘Red’ Sammy has also attempted to use populist arguments that well-heeled green activists such as the middle class Green Party are calling for additional ‘green’ taxes (eg. higher road taxes) which would hit working class families hard, as an excuse to attack genuine environmental protection.

His stated immediate priority is to speed up the reform of the planning process in Northern Ireland. This means de-regulation of the planning process and removing barriers for property developers and big business to commence commercial projects, including taking away the rights of residents to have any say over the development of their communities. This green light for big business to trample over the rights of working class communities needs to be met with opposition which puts the environment before profit.

---