Ian Paisley – Pic courtesy of BBC
IAN Paisley has spoken of how he came to trust former British Prime Minister Tony Blair – because he was descended from Ulster Protestants.
Dr Paisley was speaking during a BBC NI documentary broadcast on Monday night which has led to bitter recriminations with the former First Minister saying he was stabbed in the back by both his church and the DUP – for going into government with Martin McGuinness
Journalist Eamonn Mallie asked Dr Paisley about his relationship with Tony Blair.
“We were both Ulster Protestants,” said Paisley.
“His grandfather was a Protestant from Donegal and a leader there in the Orange Order. He understood where I was coming from.”
He said he was aware that Blair’s grandmother had warned him never to marry a Catholic; and Blair had confirmed this.
But when Blair told him that he was converting to Catholicism, Paisley said he told him: “You fool.”
Mr Paisley also recalled the plot to unseat him as DUP leader. He has alleged there was a meeting with Peter Robinson, Nigel Dodds Mr Dodds, party whip Lord Morrow and his special advisor Tim Johnston.
“Nigel Dodds said to me I want you to be gone by Friday,” said Paisley
“I just more or less smirked and Peter said ‘no, no, no he needs to stay in for another couple of months’.”
Eileen Paisley said her husband was “assassinated with words and deeds”, treated shamefully and was left with no option but to stand down.
She described Nigel Dodds as a “cheeky sod”.
“I detected a nasty spirit arising from some of the other MPs and the way they spoke to Ian,” Mrs Paisley said.
“I was very annoyed one day with the way some of them spoke to him and addressed him.
“Whenever they said to him about what was going on and he said to them ‘well, that’s what should be done’ and they said ‘och doc’, you know? Sort of, ‘don’t be so stupid’.
“That sort of set the alarm bells ringing in my head,” she added.
Mrs Paisley also said attempts to paint her son Ian Paisley Jnr as sleazy because of a planning inquiry ultimately were found not to be true.
“All the sleaze was in his own house,” Mr Paisley said in reference to Peter Robinson, in a swipe at his wife’s notorious affair.