Opinion: Poots wants suits, but Stormont needs solutions

Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots
-Credit:Mark Marlow/PA Wire


If you were paying attention to Stormont this week, then it may have felt more like The Politician Wears Prada as Speaker Edwin Poots took it upon himself to critique not policy or procedure but the fashion choices of our MLAs when it became apparent that what truly grates Mr Poots is not political deadlock or division, but denim.

Addressing the chamber on Tuesday, Speaker Edwin Poots reminded MLAs that they are bound by a “smart” dress code at Parliament Buildings and that some MLAs “have a very loose interpretation of smart.”

This latest intervention comes after Mr Poots’ DUP colleague Diane Dodds took to the Assembly chamber in early December to question the dress code after complaining that a number of MLAs had been wearing sportswear to committee meetings.

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Watching the latest intervention unfold, it was hard not to imagine Mr Poots channelling his inner Anna Wintour as he surveyed the Assembly for fashion faux pas, pursing his lips at an ill-advised jumper or a pair of trainers.

Mr Poots seems to believe that the dress code reflects respect for the chamber and by extension, the people it serves but the idea that a sharp suit correlates with effective governance is hardly borne out by history as we could point to many examples of some of the world’s worst decisions that have been made by men in well-pressed suits.

A pinstripe suit won’t solve our housing crisis and a Windsor knot won’t magically impart wisdom on our MLAs. What really matters is the substance of the debate happening in Stormont.

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While yes every workplace will have its rules, there has no doubt been a relaxation in office wear since the Covid pandemic when many were working from home, and this is certainly a debate for another day.

Perhaps Edwin Poots hopes that by enforcing a dress code, he can restore some dignity to the chamber. But dignity is earned, not accessorised, and the Speaker might consider focusing on the content of its discussions rather than the cut of its cloth.

Anna Wintour may rule over the pages of Vogue with an iron fist, but the Assembly chamber deserves a little more flexibility than a September issue photoshoot. And while Edwin Poots may not have Anna’s signature sunglasses, his wardrobe full of three-piece suits shows that he clearly has an eye for detail and a strong opinion on anything less than Saville Row.

Whether this new fashion policing will improve Stormont or lead to yet more eye-rolling remains to be seen. However, one this is for certain and that is that our MLAs better think twice before they turn up in jeans.

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