By Edward Maxwell
The Belfast Media Group- owned by Sinn Fein multi millionaire Mairtin O’ Muilleoir- announced they are to lay off 4 employees.
Bizarrely the editor of the paper Robin Livingston- who is known to be a strong supporter of Sinn Fein- appeared to suggest that the job losses were due to sectarianism.
In the South Belfast News Mr Livingston said “there are elements within the Council that want to punish Belfast Media Group for standing up for its community- especially in relation to a series of recent planning decisions that have been little more than attacks on working class communities”
When Mr Livingston makes reference to “its community”, it is understood he refers to the Nationalist community, which the Belfast Media Group has traditionally served.
The apparent allegation of sectarianism levelled at Belfast City Council has no basis in reality given that Sinn Fein have a de-facto majority on Belfast City Council due to their coalition with the SDLP and Alliance party.
Unionist Voice can reveal that far from there being any form of sectarian targeting of the Belfast Media Group, the job losses flow directly from ruthless business decisions made by Sinn Fein’s Mairtin O’Mullieor designed to bolster his own personal financial empire.
Sinn Fein Councillors raised no objections when all advertising was given exclusively to the Mirror Group. This dramatically cut the revenue for the Belfast Media Group.
It is inconceivable that Sinn Fein would target Belfast Media Group without the approval of the business’s proprietor and their party colleague, Mairtin O’ Muilleoir.
This comes at a time when the Sinn Fein MLA was elected on the promise of job creation, yet via a ruthless pursuit of his own financial gain he is responsible for job losses within his own personal financial empire.
Sources have also revealed that the printing presses within Belfast Media Group needed replaced, but rather than pay for this work Mr O’ Muilleoir outsourced the printing to Johnston Press and sacked employees who have worked for him their whole lives.
One source said “Mairtin gives the public impression he is a nice guy. The pink haired smiled Mayor turned Finance Minister and crusader for jobs and job creation.”
” The truth is he treats his own employees like crap and is more interested in swanning around the United States feathering his own nest.”
” It is a disgrace that Mairtin wants us all to believe, and Robin (Editor) is doing his bidding with this fake news, that this is some sectarian campaign. A sectarian campaign by who? The Council which has a de-facto Nationalist majority?”
Mr O’ Muilleoir claims to be a sharp businessman but his employees have claimed running the Belfast Media Group into the ground.
Despite it making no financial sense to retain the South Belfast News – which works at a loss – according to sources he continues to the print the now free paper as a ‘vanity project’, with pictures of the publicity hungry Sinn Fein MLA often adorning every page of the paper.
