Tuesday, May 02, 2006
A lotto discontent
And now we go from a story of generosity from the South to the North above, to this story of a miserable attitude from Britain to the North!The Belfast Telegraph reports that there is much anger over a new online lottery set up to raise millions for charity which will exclude NI from taking part, prompting fears that Northern charities will be left out in the cold.
Pitching itself as a "fairer" alternative to the National Lottery, the game, known as Monday, will only be available to residents of Scotland, England and Wales when it is launched next week.
Maureen Clarke, the founder of Ulster's only ovarian cancer charity, last night spoke of her dismay that Monday - dubbed The Charities Lottery - is not available to NI residents, while SDLP MLA John Dallat said the move is:
"just the latest in a long line of examples where people in Northern Ireland are excluded from schemes available on what people commonly refer to as the mainland".
"This is a slap in the face for the people of Northern Ireland who are world renowned for their generosity."
A notice on the Monday website states that, "to play Monday you must be resident in England, Scotland or Wales" and adds that the "address you give must be the one to which your debit and credit cards are billed".
Oh dear! So much for this "United" Kingdom eh?
I can't help but feel this is a revealing example into the mindset of the typical Briton. As John Dallat said it's the latest in a long line of examples of how people from Ireland's north are left out in the cold by people who are supposed to be their compatriots!
It's also quite telling that above we have the DUP moaning about southern generosity to the North and yet not a peep is said about this selfish attitude from 'Monday'.
The British want nothing to do with the North yet the South continues to offer help to the North.
Unionists would do well to take heed of that.
# posted by United Irelander @ 12:09 AM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
