Both The Guardian and The Times are running stories this morning about Owen Paterson’s tri-partite talks held in Hatfield House earlier in the month.
Both stories suggest that the discussions focused on the creation of a united Unionist party in Northern Ireland politics. In effect Paterson’s ambition was for the UUP and DUP to be absorbed into the Conservative Party. This foolish initiative back-fired badly when the DUP promptly spilled the beans to the media. A couple of the UUP’s more moronic MLAs played neatly into the DUP’s plans and argued the merits of Unionist unity as well.
This ill-conceived plan illustrates the extent of Paterson’s political naivity. He may have learned his lessons from the experience but the learning comes too late. In my view David Cameron needs to act swiftly to restore faith in his Northern Ireland project. He could start by replacing Paterson.
However, the UUP ‘relationship’ is all but dead now. Many UUP supporters of the link with the Conservative Party can show their support by joining the Conservative Party. The Party should put up 18 candidates here at the general election – drawn entirely from its own membership.
And I’m pretty sure that the three excellent candidates who withdrew from the candidate race would throw their hats back in.
I agree that is the only way forward in the circumstances of the UUP and Paterson’s ineptitude. Wins may be rare but you must start somewhere if ever to get real politics here
Another day, another set of spin and allegations.
Isn’t it strange that then Gruinard’s article on-line is so radically different from that in the print version. Perhaps Gordon’s advisers in No 10 weren’t happy enough with the first draft and wanted the dossier beefed up a little more. they do have form for this, you know. Why, just as last week while our Great Leader was in Hillsborough trying to persuade the DUP to do a deal they were outside telling the media how disgusting the Torys had been for daring to even meet with this unspeakable DUP party. Perhaps Gordon didn’t realise that the DUP would read the papers or watch TV?
In any case you can rest assured that the Gruinard doesn’t have the best interests of Unionism or Conservatism at heart
Now perhaps there will be a realignment of unionist politics ….the DUP appears to be about to tear itself apart no matter what way Robinson jumps on the deal that never was. And if there is a split, that may well mean a substantial defection of members and voters from the DUP to return to the fold of Unionism and Conservatism that they left perhaps 10 years ago.
So what do we do then? Owen Paterson has been quite clear and so has Reg. We have a pact with the UUP and that is the only pact in town and that anyone joining us must be prepared to sign up to the core values that underpin all that:
* anti sectarian
* committed to keeping the Assembly going
* working in partnership with nationalists
Just which bit of that didn’t you understand Jeff? Which bits do you disagree with?
Now of course a realignment like this will be painful. Many members of the UUP (sometimes with good reason) have a visceral dislike of some individuals in the DUP and vice versa. The two parties have been in competition for over 30 years and electoral fortunes have ebbed and flowed t both a personal and party level.
Frankly, as a Conservative, I don’t care about that. There is a bigger prize to play for – bringing stability to the institutions, bringing real partnership to the Assembly and getting Government here working in the face of a huge economic crisis that we yet barely recognise.
In that context we (unionists and nationalists) have a lot more in common that your petty squabbles would suggest. So I applaud those who are at least trying to stabilise things and move them on, rather than sit on the sidelines and whine and complain.
Good Heavens.
Tonight we find that Brown has been on to Reg to drum up support for the deal. Apparently it was a private phone call to Reg. How shocking., We can assume that tomorrow Alistair McDonnell will be leaping up and down at this breach of the bi partisan policy on Ulster and complaining that the SDLP weren’t present during the call.
And isn’t it shocking that, in support of the institutions and to avoid collapsing the Assembly, Brown is encouraging the DUP and UUP to co-operate.
Now I wonder where he got that idea from?
Brown is desperate to have a deal done because the last remaining vestige of any New labour success is the Hillsborough Agreement. The fact that the entire Heath Robinson arrangement lurches from crisis to crisis is of no consequence – as long as the sorry mess is temporarily fixed so it reflects well on Brown. He’ll phone anybody he needs to to ensure that happens – even little Reg.