Signatures secured for no-confidence motion in Stormont Education Minister

By Rebecca Black, PA

A bid for a no-confidence motion in the Stormont Education Minister has progressed after 30 signatures were secured.

People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll is pressing for the motion in protest at Paul Givan’s trip to Israel in which he instructed officials to publicise a visit he made to a school in Jerusalem on the department’s social media channels.

Sinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance have indicated they are backing the no-confidence motion, while Mr Givan’s DUP party and the UUP are opposing it.

Last week the Northern Ireland Teachers’ Council claimed the Department of Education’s promotion of the school visit was an “overtly political and divisive act”, and called for the post to be deleted.

Rival politicians have also questioned whether it was appropriate to visit Israel at a time when the country is facing international criticism over its military offensive in Gaza.

Demonstrations took place at Belfast City Hall on Saturday and outside Parliament Buildings on Monday calling for Mr Givan to resign, while an online petition has been signed by more than 13,000 people.

On Tuesday morning, Mr Carroll confirmed his motion has reached the 30 signatures needed to proceed.

It is expected to be brought to the Assembly chamber next Monday; however it requires cross-community support from both those designated as unionists and nationalists.

“I’ve brought this motion to build a strong, united challenge against a Minister who believes it’s appropriate to align himself with a state that’s responsible for the murder of 20,000 children,” Mr Carroll said.

“Despite the minister’s attempts to sectarianise this issue, pressure is clearly mounting on him from all quarters.

“Paul Givan’s position is becoming more untenable by the hour.”

Mr Givan was part of a delegation of unionist MLAs from Northern Ireland who took part in the fact-finding trip last week at the invitation of the Israeli government.

On Monday, Mr Givan defended his actions, insisting the social media post was “strictly non-political and focused solely on the educational aspects of the visit”.

He said his visit during the trip to a school in Jerusalem was “directly relevant” to his ministerial portfolio and “provided valuable insights”.

He said his permanent secretary and senior officials carried out a review of his engagements on the visit and said they concluded a “clean bill of health” to him as minister and all civil servants that their actions were appropriate.

He also insisted he is a minister for all, adding he will not be silenced, cancelled or distracted from his work as Education Minister.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said on Monday that Mr Givan has his full confidence.

But Mr Carroll added: “The minister played the victim and declared that he ‘won’t be cancelled’, but the voices of thousands of educators, pupils, families, trade unionists and right-thinking people calling for his resignation can’t and won’t be ignored.

“It’s time for Givan to go.”