Jamie Bryson

Jamie Bryson (born 1990 Donaghadee, Northern Ireland)^[1] is a loyalist activist in Northern Ireland who originally attracted media attention as a leading figure in the Belfast City Hall flag protests. He is the author of four books and is the editor of Unionist Voice, a monthly unionist newsletter and online site.^[2] He also runs a consultancy focusing on loyalist public relations, paralegal work and advocacy.

Early activities[]

Bryson, an Ulster Protestant from Donaghadee, was born in 1990 to David and Louise Bryson.^[3] He first came to public attention as the vice-chair of the North Down Somme Society, in which role he led complaints that the Royal British Legion were excluding the society from participation in Remembrance Day events due to its alleged loyalist paramilitary links.^[4] He became a youth cohesion worker, and in December 2010 helped found the Community Partnership political party.^[5] He stood for the party in Bangor West at the 2011 Northern Ireland local elections, but took only 167 votes and was not elected.^[6]

In 2011, Bryson was active in a campaign against North Down Borough Council's allocation of Peace III funding, through which he met with Martin McGuinness.^[7] Early in 2012, he was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon, a baton, which he stated was to protect himself from drug dealers angered by his role as a community activist. Later in the year, he published The First Shades of God, a book which argued that churches should adapt to popular culture.^[8]

Belfast City Hall flag protests[]

At the end of 2012 Bryson, serving for a time as chair of the Ulster People's Forum, became a leading figure in the Belfast City Hall flag protests.^[9] In December 2012 Belfast City Council voted to limit the number of designated days for flying the Union Jack. Bryson, Jim Dowson and Willie Frazer coordinated a series of street protest against the decision.^[10]

He was taken into custody in Bangor on 28 February 2013 for questioning in connection with public order offences.^[11] Bryson was one of three protest leaders arrested, the others being Frazer and former British National Party funder Jim Dowson, with Dowson the only one of the three to be granted bail.^[12] In early March Bryson was charged with six matters relating to the protests.^[13]

In March 2015 Bryson was found guilty of taking part in unlawful public processions and obstructing traffic due to his role in the protests^[14] and given a six-month suspended jail sentence.^[15]

UVF criminal probe[]

In 2018 Bryson was arrested in relation to a UVF criminality probe.^[16] The PSNI sought to impose police bail conditions on him, restricting Bryson from discussing this arrest. Bryson did not comply with the police bail conditions, publishing a video online and giving newspaper interviews arguing that his arrest had nothing to do with any UVF activity, but rather was only in connection with an investigation by a regulatory body in relation to a door supervisory business.^[17] The PSNI dropped the conditions less than one week after Bryson's arrest.^[18]

As part of the arrest, the PSNI seized materials later claimed in court to have been leaked classified documents relating to the 'On the Run' (OTR) scandal, as well as British Army and RUC files relating to the Kingsmill massacre. The coroner wrote to Bryson demanding these files. Bryson claimed journalistic privilege and refused to hand them over after the court had ordered the PSNI to return them, as regardless of their classified status, they fell into the scope of journalistic material.^[19]

In 2018, Bryson launched High Court action against the PSNI and the Security Industry Authority claiming the seizure of material was unlawful and arguing that, because he was a journalist, a different legal processes should have been followed to allow his home to be searched. In May 2019, Bryson succeeded in his Judicial Review, with the High Court of Northern Ireland declaring the warrants unlawful.^[20]

2014 European election[]

Bryson initially put himself forward for the European elections in 2014 as an independent candidate but failed to raise the funds (£5,000) for the deposit necessary for him to stand.^[21]

Namagate[]

In 2015, Bryson made a number of allegations concerning the sale of loans and properties by the National Asset Management Agency on his blog. This culminated in him giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Assembly's Finance Committee, in which he accused the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson, of corruption.^[22]

Private life[]

Bryson is an amateur footballer who previously played for Linfield F.C., Bangor F.C. and Crusaders F.C.. ^[23] Bryson subsequently signed for East Belfast.^[24] before becoming giving up playing to become manager.

References[]