What is it?

Well, I suppose we'll just start from where it all came from.

I've worked with you, with other veterans organizations, with veterans champions and local councils as well.

And the one thing that was coming through time and time again was that many veterans were unsure of how to engage with government.

They wanted to make sure that whenever they did, that they would be treated with respect, with sensitivity, with confidentiality as well.

And I think that there was that barrier that existed for people to get in contact and to be able to be honest about who they are and what they require.

And that was really the genesis of the support line is that many people didn't want to contact a generic number.

What would you say to a veteran that's still a bit unsure about ringing the members of your department? Another way, what have you done to ensure that the veteran will be understood when they ring?

In principle, would you support that?

Yeah, in principle, I support the concept.

What I want, first of all, is to not cut people's benefits by 30%.

I want to cut them by 100% by getting people into work.

I think that's a far better way to go.

Secondly, we need to provide that assistance as well.

It can't just be car.

Is this what you're saying?

Why are you concerned?

Well, first of all, William, I'll be pedantic, but the bill didn't actually pass its second stage last night.

Such was the interest.

Oh, sorry, you kept going, yeah.

And the genuine areas of concern, this debate continues.

But there's a simple question at the heart of the legislation in front of us, and it is not should abusive and coercive practices be banned.

Of course they should, and many of them already are.

So you

So how is this going to, if you wanted to, start to drill in to other days of the year in Northern Ireland, and our politics in Northern Ireland too? Should it?

Oh, yes, of course, uh, it should.

Look, um, l- let's get something clear.

This was a, a, a good week, and it was positive for Northern Ireland, something that we welcome, something that we're glad to see, and I think it worked because the politics stayed, uh, out of it.

I, I think there is a very strong contrast between what happened at the Fleadh and what happened at the, the Feile.

I was really struck by the comments of a Sinn Féin representative who couldn't help himself when it came to talking about the Irish language on stage, and said that the revival of Irish has never just been about language, it's about national identity, liberation, resistance.

Every new speaker and every bilingual sign is another act of decoloniz- de- decolonization.

And if, uh, if, if you don't put it on more often, then what a failure you lot are, you could argue.

Well, this is all about Irish culture, I- Irish music, a celebration of it, isn't it?

G- great, yes, and that's, that's the point that I want to raise.

Um, the organizers have been keen that it does, um, highlight and showcase, uh, everything, uh, that this place has to offer, and I want to highlight just one aspect of this before I come onto to your question in another way.

But the Belfast Bands Forum have been central, uh, to this work since it begun, and in fairness to the organizers, they wanted to make sure this was inclusive, uh, from an early stage.

So, when you go along this week, you will see all forms of traditional music, including, um, the, uh, marching band scene in Northern Ireland, other forms of traditional music and dancing and storytelling, uh, and comedy.

So I- if you're trying to frame your question, Stephen, as if this is something that is maybe a bit-

Could this create a new atmosphere? Were you building this?

Uh, I, I, personally, I don't, I don't think this is anything particularly new.

Do you think someone born a biological man can ever be a woman?

No, I don't.

I think that this is entirely to do with biology.

And I think if you move away from that principle, you get yourselves into some of the problems that society has gotten itself into lately as well.

Who then defines a woman? What characteristics do you need to have? And I think gender and biological sex go hand in hand and moving away from that will only cause difficulty and confusion.

And I think that we can have that debate and you can get people into a room and you can talk about it.

That's fine.

So if you don't think someone born a biological man can ever be a woman, how do you define the rights, if you do, for a biological man to live as a trans woman? Do you defend their right to do that? To be considered as a woman in society as much as is possible.

I mean, does this potentially put all of that back? Do you think he can pick up just where Hilary Benn left off?

Well, yes, I think he can.

I think the negotiations and discussions that took place at Hillsborough Castle a few weeks ago were done on the basis that it would have been preparation for certainly a new prime minister, if not a new secretary of state as well.

Secondly, it gives me some hope that he is also an MP from a devolved administration.

Unlike Hilary Benn, he will be aware of these issues later.

And I think that that will also be helpful.

I would be quite happy if we were funded to the same level as Wales is.

They just need an agreement.

And you've failed to do that.

Well, first of all, it's not actually my job to deliver stadium.

It isn't the job of a minister to deliver Ravenhill or to deliver Windsor.

The job was to provide the money and let those organisations go ahead and do that.

And that's why it happened for football and for rugby.

And it's really important to say this, Stephen, because political nationalism is peddling this lie, as they always do when things go wrong.

They say it's the big bad unionists.

have no relationship?