Ex-RUC/Orange Order man tipped for Brolly post

[Blue Angel]

Moving it back on topic I can see why people in the unionist community may not be fondest of Mr. Leonard and he does seem at times to be almost an example of 'look we have a Protestant in our political ranks to!' I don't know enough about the man at a close up level of living in NI like WASP to make a judgement of him as a politican - I've seen good and bad reports about him.

[Wasp]

BA here is a classic example, Articlave village is a predominately loyalist village and a few years ago leonard was pictured in the paper at the bonfire site claiming residents had co ntacted him because of the mess prior to the bonfire etc etc, if memory serves me he also claimed they had been stealing from a builder etc.

BUT unknown to leonard the builder had an agreement in place with local people where if they tidied up the building site they could have waste materials for the fire so everyone was happy. Residents were in the papers stating the lies that leonard had been proved telling and the builder also backed what the residents said. They also made it clear that not a single catholic family lived in the area of the bonfire and that catholics in the village attended the bonfire with their Protestant neighbours. Catholic families in the area (about 3 or 4 at that time) stated they were concerned because of the actions and words of leonard that they would get the blame for contacting him. Locals reassured these families that they had nothing to fear as everyone knew what leonard was up to with his lies.

Sommerset in Coleraine is well known for its wino community and criminality, certain well know residents from there who are never out of trouble and who are seldom sober or high on drugs attacked a few loyalists erecting flags in a loyalist area near sommerset, they then attacked the police and a policeman was seriously injured (think he was stabbed). The best leonard would say was there may have been some issues with alcohol but it was the loyalists, the police etc etc who were to blame blah blah blah.

This is the type of politican and man he is.