Former president of UFU revealed to be an RHI claimant

Former president of the Ulster Farmers’ Union Harry Sinclair is an RHI claimant, it has been revealed. Mr Sinclair, who has a farm outside Draperstown, was head of the UFU when the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme was first introduced. A public inquiry has been launched into the controversial scheme, which has sparked the collapse of Stormont’s institutions and the calling of a snap election. Mr Sinclair told The Irish News that he is a legitimate claimant of the RHI scheme, saying that he believes he has “done everything that’s right.” Yet, he refused to confirm how many boilers he has on his farm, which he uses to dry woodchips to sell to other boiler users. "We are heating the farmhouse and a farm workshop, and we're drying wood chip for other boilers, and wood chip for livestock bedding," he said. "We always had wood heating systems here on the farm. We were looking to develop it a bit more, and once I had more time on my hands I started to look into it. It wasn't a 'jump in' sort of thing." Mr Sinclair revealed that he is a member of the newly formed Renewable Heat Association for Northern Ireland (RHANI), a group which aims to prevent Stormont from naming some RHI claimants and is also taking legal action against plans to cut tariffs. He also described some media coverage of the RHI scandal as a “witch hunt.” "That's why I believe people using the system shouldn't be published. People signed up to the scheme did so legitimately," he said.