Despicable attack on two men in Derry motivated purely by hate
Homophobic hate crimes have no place in our society: they are criminal acts carried out by those who feel emboldened by the right wing rhetoric that is spewed out against anyone they see as different.
The Workers Party is distressed to learn that two men were injured shortly before midnight on Saturday 8th November in a suspected homophobic attack on the Peace Bridge in Derry.
Homophobic hate crimes have no place in our society: they are criminal acts carried out by those who feel emboldened by the right wing rhetoric that is spewed out against anyone they see as different. They are also the acts of “cowards” who need to be in a group whilst assaulting two men. It is now time that we had the promised hate crime legislation we were promised. We need legal action that shows the perpetrators of these vile crimes, that their bigotry, intolerance, intimidation, and hatred bring real consequences.
The Workers Party have been calling for action against all hate crimes to be strengthened by passing the legislation that names all the hate crimes that are being committed against our citizens. The numbers of these crimes are growing exponentially. Sectarianism, misogyny , racism, and homophobia, all grow from the same vile pool, and are emboldened when our politicians and civic leaders pay lip service to the condemnation that these acts rightly deserve.
I hope people will come forward with any information they may have, so that those who carried out this attack, can be held to account and suffer the consequences of this brutal attack. It is the right of all our citizens to live without fear of attack or abuse, and to go about their daily lives, knowing that the law will protect them, and that our society embraces their differences.
Workers Party welcomes Dr Tom Black’s praise for GP practice reception staff
Doctors’ receptionists are the patients and are on the frontline very often taking the abuse that comes when patients are anxious angry or frustrated.
The Workers Party welcomes the praise for receptionists, who are on the frontline of primary care services. This group of staff are the first point of contact patients, who are often anxious, distressed, and very often angry and frustrated. They are the ones who are often abused by irate patients. But they are also the ones as Dr Black mentioned who give comfort, organise follow up treatments, and go that extra mile when patients and their families need it the most.
They should never be subjected to verbal or physical abuse regardless of how stressed or anxious patients are. All practices have a zero tolerance policy on abuse to their staff. It is up to us as individuals to respect that, and to value the service provided by this invaluable group of people who are an important part of the health care team.
Patients and their families do not always understand that reception staff are not deciding who gets a GP appointment or a callback. They are operating the practice protocols and procedures that are set by the practice doctors. This can create the impression that they are gatekeepers, which they are certainly not.
The Workers Party believe that this particular group of staff are undervalued when it comes to salaries and terms and conditions of service.
November 15th 2025