DUP SUPPORTS GUARD IN NORTHERN IRELAND

For obvious reasons, Unionist parties in Northern Ireland have historically (mostly) supported the presence of the British Army in the province. Recently, the Westminster government has announced it will no longer be funding the guard on military bases here, deeming current security risks no longer merit it. At Stormont, the DUP has been lobbying for a guard, comprised of professional soldiers, to remain in place. This may be pure politicisation, rather than genuine concern for either the job security of professional guards or for security on the bases that remain in Northern Ireland. In any case, politically, two issues come to mind. First, if it is indeed true that a militarised guard is no longer required in Northern Ireland, why is it still policy that all military guards must carry a personal protection weapon with them at all times? The Troubles ended 27 years ago; in 2025, Mark McCarthy was armed on his day off. Secondly, given the track record of the current government, is the closing of the guard nothing more than a money-saving, austerity measure that will ultimately impoverish both those who lose their job directly and the wider economy in the longer term? When I emailed the Northern Ireland Office this week, they confirmed that these professional soldiers are going to be replaced by zero-hour security contractors from G4S. If this is really the case, then two things are true: the government deems risk to still be at least somewhat significant and they care more about cost cutting than the jobs of individuals like Mark. I want to find out if Mark was aware he was about to lose his job. I’m trying to arrange an interview, but have yet to hear back from his lawyers.