Background of the Incident

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) assembly member Timothy Gaston is facing a two-day suspension from the Northern Ireland Assembly following a comment he made to the chairwoman of a Stormont committee, instructing her to "breathe" during a tense exchange.

The remark occurred during a committee meeting chaired by Alliance Party assembly member Paula Bradshaw, who leads the Executive Office scrutiny committee.

Complaint and Investigation

Bradshaw lodged a complaint with Stormont's standards commissioner, who determined that Gaston's comment constituted an "unreasonable and excessive personal attack." Gaston stated he had apologised at the time for the "ill-judged" remark and denied that it was misogynistic. On Monday, he expressed the belief that his apology had resolved the matter.

The standards and privileges committee, composed of MLAs, reviewed the commissioner's report. They recommended a two-day suspension, which the assembly is set to consider on Monday.

Details of the Committee Meeting

Gaston disputes the findings of the watchdog, which focus on the committee meeting held on 23 October 2024. During this meeting, members were scheduled to question First Minister Michelle O'Neill. O'Neill's attendance came amid pressure on Sinn Féin regarding several controversies, including job references provided for Michael McMonagle, a former press officer later convicted of child sex offences.

During the meeting, Gaston criticised Bradshaw for holding a meeting with O'Neill prior to the public committee session. He questioned how she could "limit what members are going to ask," to which Bradshaw responded:

"I haven't said I was going to limit. Did I say I was going to limit? Did I say I was going to limit? No, I didn't."

Gaston then replied:

"Take a step back. You're okay, you're okay. Breathe."

Complaints and Findings

In December 2024, Gaston lodged a complaint against Bradshaw with the standards commissioner, but in February the complaint was deemed "inadmissible." Meanwhile, Bradshaw submitted a complaint against Gaston.

The then standards commissioner, Melissa McCullough, found that Gaston breached the code of conduct for MLAs. She described his "breathe" comment as "both unreasonable and excessive" and stated it "may reasonably be perceived as condescending and patronising in tone."

McCullough noted that the tone and context of Gaston's remark "undermined and disrespected the chair's authority in a manner that goes beyond acceptable parliamentary discourse," and she considered it "an unnecessary personal attack."

She further stated that this was "not merely a case of the accepted 'rough and tumble' of political life," but rather concerned the expectation that all MLAs treat each other "with courtesy and respect." The commissioner also highlighted Gaston's "persistent, repetitive undermining of the chair and committee protocols."

McCullough added that Gaston's questions to the First Minister "clearly did not pertain" to the work of her office, justifying Bradshaw's intervention.

Committee Recommendation and Reactions

The standards and privileges committee upheld the commissioner's findings and proposed excluding Gaston from assembly proceedings for two sitting days.

Speaking at Stormont on Monday, TUV leader Jim Allister criticised the assembly's actions as a "witch hunt" against Gaston, describing the watchdog report as "farcical."

"He has been most effective, and the more effective he has been, the greater the determination to try and silence him,"

Allister said.

He also revealed that there are "police enquiries" regarding a complaint about Bradshaw and O'Neill's "pre-committee consultations." The enquiries concern whether these consultations could constitute "misfeasance in a public office."

Allister argued it would be "wholly disproportionate and inappropriate" for the assembly to proceed with sanctions before the enquiries conclude.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed it "received correspondence concerning an allegation of misconduct in public office in October 2024" and that "enquiries remain ongoing." Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson stated that he had made a complaint to the PSNI.

Responses from Political Parties

The Executive Office, Sinn Féin, and the Alliance Party were contacted for comment.

An Alliance spokesperson dismissed the TUV statements as "nothing more than misleading conjecture and distraction," adding:

"Such commentary only further undermines standards in the assembly. Only one MLA has been found in breach of the code of conduct in this case, and that is Timothy Gaston."

The spokesperson further stated:

"No amount of gaslighting or spin from the TUV will change that...