Committee on Standards and Privileges publishes report on complaints against Minister Gordon Lyons MLA

The Assembly’s Committee on Standards and Privileges has today published its report on complaints against Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA, regarding allegations that he had breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct.

The complaints were made in relation to comments by Mr Lyons on social media in June 2025 about the relocation of families to Larne Leisure Centre following rioting in Ballymena.

The complaints were investigated by the former independent Assembly Commissioner for Standards, Dr Melissa McCullough. She found that Mr Lyons had breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct through his actions, when he failed to follow the Nolan Principles, including accountability and leadership, and to ‘operate in a way conducive to promoting good community relations and equality of treatment.’

The report by the Committee on Standards and Privileges appends the Commissioner’s investigation report, together with subsequent submissions from Mr Lyons and from the Commissioner.

The Committee on Standards and Privileges does not recommend sanctions for complaints made against Ministers.It is the role of the Assembly in plenary to decide whether any sanction/s should be imposed, if, having considered the findings of the Commissioner’s report, it believes there has been a breach of the Code.

The Chairperson of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, Cathy Mason MLA said: “While the Committee has no adjudication role in relation to ministerial complaints, it has a duty, under Standing Order 69A, to consider any investigation report by the Commissioner, including reports on ministerial complaints, and to publish such reports on behalf of the Assembly. The Committee has therefore fulfilled its role in that regard.”

• Read the full report

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact the NI Assembly Communications Office by email: communications@niassembly.gov.uk.

Notes to Editor:

• Further information on the work of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, including Membership, can be accessed here.
• The Ministerial Code of Conduct sets out the ethical standards required of Ministers when acting in their capacity as a Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive. It can be found here.
• Dr Melissa McCullough was Assembly Commissioner for Standards from 2020-2025. The current Commissioner for Standards is Stephen Wright. Find out more about his role here.
• The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (sections 30, 47A(1) and 51D) makes provision for the Assembly to impose statutory sanctions on Ministers for breaches of the Ministerial Code of Conduct, which include: exclusion of a Minister from office for 3 - 12 months; reduction in salary; or censure.