Young
Unionists

On Saturday December 6th Conservative Party Leader David Cameron addressed the Ulster Unionist Party conference at the Ramada Hotel in Belfast. There is a lot I could say, but I think it would be better if you watch and listen to David himself. Enjoy.

(Apologies, cannot for some reason embed the video)

Here is the the speech in full at the UUP website.

This blog will occasionally publish pieces by more than the core team of bloggers.  The first such piece is penned by Chekov of the Three Thousand Versts blog:

Little Ulsterism, Ulster nationalism, ‘ourselves alone’ unionism, you can roll out the pejorative epithets and they perfectly encapsulate the tone of an editorial carried in yesterday’s News Letter. In many ways this piece illustrates tendencies which have done most to handicap Northern Ireland throughout its history and damage the cause of unionists within it.

The piece is a simplistic litany whereby Ulster’s stout defenders are perpetually let down by the perfidious Brits at Westminster. It represents Ulster unionism with the drawbridge up, besieged and confused, with no intention of attempting to alleviate its predicament.

There is no acknowledgement here that unionism itself, by failing to engage constructively with successive British governments, contributed to the various reverses which the editorial lists. There is no ambition to strengthen Ulster unionism’s position, learn from past mistakes, actively strive toward “making Northern Ireland’s status within the UK more solid and binding”.

Cameron is currently offering Ulster Unionists a chance to advance those very objectives. He is making the offer because the United Kingdom is a different place to that in which previous perceived Conservative wrong-doings were inflicted on Northern Irish unionists. The Union is under attack from various quarters and Northern Ireland is no longer so clearly a ‘place apart’. Rather, the attempts of Ulster Unionists to bolster the Union and protect the constitution, strike an increasingly harmonious chord right across the UK.

The opportunity is there for Ulster Unionists, both to strengthen the Union and participate in a modern, revitalised pan-UK unionism. It is no time to heed the voices represented by this article, or those from within the DUP, which wish unionists to collectively repair to a bunker. From there to cry ’sell-out’ whenever political developments, which we have abdicated responsibility for, go against us.

As the old saying goes, ‘a week is a long time in politics’, so coming back after over a year to blog for the Young Unionists it is hard to know where to pick up. When I was last writing I had the bit between my teeth over the Ulster Unionists taking the leap into oppositional territory in the Northern Ireland Assembly, as I was, and still am, a believer in providing effective opposition to those currently governing. On that point I believe it is getting clearer by the day the democratic deficit that exists In Northern Ireland and I hope the powers that be know it cannot last forever and will be actively exploring all avenues open to them.

The topic of the moment (apart from the non-meetings of the Northern Ireland Executive) is the ongoing speculation over the talks between David Cameron’s Conservative Party and the Ulster Unionist Party. I do not intend to sugar coat my analysis of the situation nor do I intend to spin a line simply to stay out of limelight: what I can offer is simply how I read the ongoing negotiations and the speculation by the media (blogosphere included) that can hopefully engender a healthy debate. I will try and take it point by point but I will be happy to respond to any issues raised at a later date or simply by replying to any comments.

Is it a merger?

To the best of my knowledge there has been zero talk about a merger within the UUP. To be frank a merger would be a crazy path to follow as beyond a few statistics gleamed from polls the two parties have very little firm evidence of what electoral response they will have. A federal model for cooperation appears much more workable, and certainly from an Ulster Unionist perspective, this will be the avenue that answers a lot of the questions. Models that have been mentioned elsewhere are the CDU/CSU model from Germany and a Canadian federal model. I have taken a look at the Bavarian model from Germany in a bit of detail and it certainly is interesting, but we will be setting our own precedent and looking at other models for inspiration.

What about those who identify with Labour, Lib Dem or anti-Tory?

Bob McCartney is probably best known for his campaign for equal citizenship and calls for the mainland UK parties to organise and campaign in Northern Ireland; I for one will relish the day when we have the established parties based along socio-economic lines, and those days are certainly getting a bit closer. Chris McGimpsey has already declared his discomfort and I respect him for his views as he has been a strong advocate for the union for many a year. Of course it is to be expected that those who are not naturally conservatives to look else where, but there are not many of them currently within the UUP or if they are they are more likely to horrified by Gordon Brown and New Labour.

I have heard a lot about the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985 that has led to anti-Tory feelings. Let me be clear: are unionists more happy to have Sinn Fein in government than to vote for a Conservative? If so I am worried.

What if the UUP are lumped with policies that are adverse to their own electorate?

A federal model, speficially for the Northern Ireland Assembly, allows the UUP to shape its manifestos and pledges to their own immediate electorate. At Westminster the ideal scenario for the UUP is to negotiate and sign up to a Conservative manifesto; the worst case scenario is they stand up for Northern Ireland’s interests when there is a conflict ie vote against the Conservative line.

What’s in it for the UUP?

An optimist would say to articulate the need for pan-UK Unionism, potentially having Ministers or Junior Ministers in the Cabinet, playing a full-time role representing Northern Ireland and of course injecting a bit of life-blood into the party. A cynic would say finance, direction and a slice of the pie (peerages). It is too early to pass judgment.

What’s in it for David Cameron?

Times have changed, the fight for the Union does not have Northern Ireland as the primary battlefield: It is now in Scotland in the shape of Alex Salmond. Being a ‘party of the union’ David Cameron needs to have a Conservative Party representing all the constituent parts of the UK and that (if you need reminding) includes Northern Ireland. The UUP can fulfill that role. Is it hard to see David Cameron as a Unionist? He is making the right noises and the move away (a deliberate move at that) from an English orientated party is positive and I dare say rewarding.

What’s the downside?

Here’s where I will get a few looks to kill over the next few days. Not only were the electorate blissfully unaware of the ongoing negotiations between the UUP and the Conservatives - so were the UUP party members which appears to stand in complete contrast to the NI Tories. For something as potentially important preparation is needed to enable the party to filter the news down in a controlled and manageable fashion. Too late now. Having just gone through a drawn out constitutional review with consultations throughout Northern Ireland I for one would have expected some effort by the leadership in this regard.

Scare tactics are being used to talk about Tory Candidates already ’selected’ to contest seats in Northern Ireland which is just a nuisance. David Trimble’s recent appearance at the Conservative Conference got a few tongues wagging about his role in all of this. For myself the Westminster seats of South Belfast and Fermangh & South Tyrone are an obstacle that needs to be dealt with delicately and I fear Lord Trimble’s remarks were out of touch with his former party.

Well I was going to do something like a ‘logical conclusion’ but I feel all unionists need to think long and hard about the UUP-Conservatve talks and potential future relationship. I am a unionist first and foremost and that will not change. The question I have asked myself is simple: ‘Would I feel uncomfortable as a Conservative Unionist?’.

The answer is no. I already am one.

What is the point in Sinn Fein in a modern Northern Ireland?  I caught the last twenty minutes or so of Break Out last night, and whilst it was, as has been noted, a disgraceful piece of Provo propaganda, it was somewhat comical in how it drew out the hypocrisy of Sinn Fein’s political shifts in the past ten years.

Gerry Kelly, having escaped from incarceration for a bombing campaign that killed one and injured more than 200 , fled to the continent.  He told of how he rejected disappearing into a new life, and chose to continue with the “struggle” from there.  The ending sequence of the programme showed Mr Kelly struggling against the British state and its oppression from the vantage point of the Northern Ireland Assembly in his role as a Junior Minister in British Northern Ireland.

The boxes the Belfast Agreement constructed for Sinn Fein and the DUP have proven to be resilient.  The IRA has surrendered its capacity to murder and destroy, the DUP the pretence of opposition to the Belfast Agreement.  There is still a fear in rural areas of the IRA, and here the legacy of it’s sectarian murder campaign is particularly apparent.  But in this same area not two weeks ago the DUP’s political blackmail, once so effective, was a swing of 120 votes away from failing to win them a by-election.  Sinn Fein continue to agitate about Northern Ireland’s place in the UK and the repercussions of that, but are reduced to criticizing a school in an area they count as “theirs” for daring to do other than what they are told.

Northern Ireland is changing.  The UK is changing. The UUP must change in order to achieve our goals.  Sinn Fein are a party incapable of responsible politics.  The DUP are a party incapable of a positive future for Unionism.  We must do all that we can shape the future we want to see, and take Northern Ireland to where it should be.