Paisley Junior used unparliamentary term in Stormont

At the Stormont assembly, the speaker has ruled the term 'papish bigot' out of order.

Lord John Alderdice was giving a ruling after the term was used by Ian Paisley Junior of the DUP.

Last week, Gerry McHugh of Sinn Fein had asked whether the Free Presbyterian church was wise to go ahead with its fiftieth anniversary celebrations, bringing people from rural communities together during the foot and mouth emergency.

As he sat down, Ian Paisley Junior called him a 'papish bigot' and when Sinn Fein's Dara O'Hagan queried the use of the term, he called her a 'papish bigot' as well.

Today Lord Alderdice ruled from the chair that the words were unparliamentary and should not be used again.

Ian Paisley Senior then queried whether the terms orange, protestant or unionist bigot were also unparliamentary.

Lord Alderdice said he was not aware of these words ever being used in the assembly but if they were he would make a ruling then.