Speeches by Robinson.

“I do not mind whether Mr Birney or Mr McCaffrey answers my next question, and we will unpack some of the other issues in the rest of this session. You have referred to correspondence from our colleague Mr Davis to forces throughout the United Kingdom that have been operating. Some of this relates to legislation from 25…”

“I am not saying, by the way, that incidental surveillance is not consequential, but it is not the subject under investigation.”

“The direct application is not relating to the individual who is then contacted by the person being surveilled, but there have been discussions around, for example, within another media outlet in Belfast, 16 of their journalists being subject to surveillance, when, in actual fact, they were probably incidental to the on…”

“Just to be clear on that, there are principles around the surveillance of MPs and so on, but what you are highlighting is the incidental contact. There have been other examples—”

“That then takes us into your relationship with the Northern Ireland Office and your ability to propose or push for, and even whether it is your role to push for, amendments to electoral law. Tell the Committee how that looks. Does the window of two years without elections provide a space of time where you have proposal…”

“As it stands, you will give evidence but you have no concerns.”

“I probably should declare that I am a nominating officer of a party. I think that I was the last person to have been co-opted when there could have been a by-election to Belfast City Council in March 2010. In the next month, six more came in, including Claire Hanna on this Committee, because co-options were then in pla…”

“I thank the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster for their sterling support for Northern Ireland over the past few days in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, which is greatly appreciated and demonstrates how well the Union works. On 15 August 1998, the fragile peace in Northern Ireland was shattered w…”

“From this Committee’s perspective, it is useful to know whether there was a distinguishing feature. You have mentioned on a couple of occasions now the Speaker’s conference around the experience for candidates. There has been some political consternation—or maybe not as hard as that, but concern—that, when it is being …”

“Very quickly, I think you said, Vijay, that there were double the number of negative experiences for females over males and then there were other factors that you said contributed further. Was that a UK average? Was that a Northern Ireland experience, or is there a difference between Northern Ireland and other parts of…”

“Just to say, Adam, I personally had to remove people from a polling station in Clarawood two years ago. I was the only person from a party there and the electoral staff could not cope with how they were being overrun by people who were just in for vandalism and pure thuggery. I removed them and the police came 20 minut…”

“That is from either the elector or a station captain to report at the end of the day.”

“To check with Dr Marshall, your answer was “not to me”. I assume you are speaking on behalf of the Electoral Office when you say “not to me”, and none of your polling captains or anything reported anybody coming up to find that they could not vote because their vote had already been cast.”

“Were Electoral Commission observers aware of anybody having turned up at a polling station to find their vote had been cast already?”

“Were there any issues about personation?”

“There were none at all.”

“I saw that Mr Hughes wanted to come in, but I have one final question, David, for you. How many reports in the 2024 Westminster election did you get of people turning up to a polling station to find their vote had already been cast?”

“Do you publish all your aspirations on legislative change, or do you just go to the NIO and tell it?”

“The legislative programme is their problem. You can use this Committee as your battering ram on issues, so start spelling them out. What are the sorts of things that you would like to see over the next two years before you get to the next council and Assembly election?”

“It is not that you would be responsible for bringing them forward, but nobody is going to bring them forward unless somebody is saying that there is a problem that needs fixing. What sort of engagement do you have? What is your relationship like with the Northern Ireland Office where you are saying, “Here is a problem”…”