Danny Kennedy MLA Carries the Orange Banner for David Cameron into the General Election
On Friday evening I had a long conversation with one of the Conservative nominees who has failed to be selected as an agreed Conservative and Unionist candidate in the forthcoming general election. She articulated the disillusionment felt by many Conservatives locally who have been duped by a UUP leader and Shadow Northern Ireland spokesman who have carved up this shambolic UCUNF pact between them.
The Conservative Party used to have an organisation here of sorts. It’s true that membership was never huge. Activists were few and far between. But the quality of people was considerable. Early Conservative activists, like Dr Laurence Kennedy, wanted to see the type of change in Northern Ireland that was only possible through the introduction of a political discourse that was elevated above the nonsense of Unionism or Nationalism.
Over the last few months we have seen the systematic destruction of the Conservative Party organisation here. Just yesterday I spoke to a member of the local Executive of the Party here who made clear that the local Area Executive was essentially ignored by Owen Paterson in terms of candidate selection. Moreover the so-called joint committee has also been side-lined as Reg and Owen essentially carved-up the candidate list between them. The result is just one genuine Conservative in the list (Parsley doesn’t really count as he has no real ideological conviction and only joined the Conservative Party – weeks after standing as the Alliance Euro candidate – when he was offered a job within the Centre for Social Justice, the Conservative think-tank).
Owen went to great lengths to point out that he wanted candidates from all walks of society (especially “Catholic women”, he was at pains to point out). He and Reg prompty loverlooked them, preferring instead to select nice, safe and God-fearing Protestants. This fits nicely with Paterson’s membership of the Cornerstone Group - once referred-to by Alan Duncan MP as the Taliban tendency within the Conservative Party.
The result of this will be a slumping in turn-out in the general election. Far from being a new force in Northern Ireland politics the re-branded UUP is unlikely to perform much better than at the last general election. If it makes any progress it will only be as a result of the DUP’s bifurcating vote in the face of TUV competition.
UNCUNF represents nothing new at all. People will see this shambolic Heath Robinson construct for what it is…and it ain’t pretty.
It sounds as though Paterson attempted to use the NI Conservatives to help his own status. His attempted self aggrandisment with the Hatfield debacle showed his total lack of judgement in matters relating to Northern Ireland.
If in addition the Conservatives are funding the whole campaign with only one Conservative candidate he should resign or least Cameron should drop him from the cabinet like a hot potato immediately after the election.
Paterson’s weakness has done no favours to the UUP as it has papered over the cracks in our funds and the Conservatives will not now extend the pact and fund the Assembly election.
Jeff
I publically challenge you to publish the list of nominees that the NI Conservatives put up for selection for each seat across Northern Ireland.
The Ulster Unionists did it weeks ago. It would help us see which conservatives were passed over as well as seeing whether the right candidate got the job.
Justin, I haven’t seen such a list.
At the time Cameron came across to launch the “New Force” in December 2008, he was very plain about wanting to appeal across NI’s traditional communities.
He said “If Catholics in Northern Ireland who share my view on the family environment … if I can’t get them to support a new force, we will have failed.”
While having some Catholic (or any form of non-Protestant) candidates might be a little tokenistic, it would have been a powerful and proper symbol of a new inclusivity and welcoming spirit.
I think Cameron is on course to fail. As he also said that Saturday morning, the New Force wasn’t a guaranteed success for the two parties: “We’re both taking a risk with each other … Let’s get the most talented people to serve.”
Jeff,
I came over to the Conservatives actually because I became convinced David Cameron was serious about Northern Ireland (something you yourself claim was untrue about any previous leader), because Iain Duncan Smith’s social justice agenda promised real change in more marginalised communities (it was my approach to work with him, not the other way around), and because the link promised to turn the Ulster Unionists into an identifiably centre-right, secular party (bringing 75,000+ votes with them right from the start).
Let’s have a look at some of the first time candidates: Trevor Ringland, Lesley Macauley, Mike Nesbitt, Paula Bradshaw, Harry Hamilton, Daphne Trimble, Bill Manwaring inter multa alia are all fresh faces truly representative of the “change” the Conservatives are talking about and pledged to being full-time Conservative MPs at Westminster. Frankly, no one can seriously oppose them and claim to be Conservative.
In the end, unemployment doubled, ill-equipped soldiers and millions living in broken communities are rather more important than one man’s personal grievances, Jeff. If you really want a rant, how about you do it after the election, while doing all you can to secure a change of government before it?
Regards, Ian
Ian you may have approached him but you did secure paid employment from the approach. Prior to your approach you were a prominent member of another Party and a high profile candidate for that Party. Therefore it begs the question as to your commitment to Conservatism if your defection came only after an offer of employment. As for the candidates to which you refer – none is sufficiently interested in change to actually join the Conservative Party – preferring instead to be members of a failed and sectarian Ulster Unionist Party. Oh and one can oppose and claim to be Conservative – because I am a member of the Conservative Party and they are not. Simply because I disagree with Owen Paterson and Reg Empey makes me no less a Conservative.
This pact is ill-conceived because it moves forward non-sectarian politics in Northern Ireland not one jot. And I’m pretty sure that, if pushed, David Cameron would agree with me.
Why didn’t IJP join the UUP with his girlfriend Paula Bradshaw? Was it the lure of filthy lucre? If no cash had been forthcoming would he have stayed with the Alliance?
Here are my principles, and if you do not like them you can buy me some others.
Jeff,
Do you honestly think that those candidates listed by Ian do not represent a significant shift in the UUP? Do you think any of them would have been selected without the UCUNF project happening? You state that none of them were change enough to join the Conservatives – perhaps they believed a change in NI politics could only come about by joining one of the main 4 parties (who have the voters to actually get elected and thus actually effect change rather than just talk about it) and changing it from within? Is that not a noble aim or is the only option for those seeking change that of a new (for NI) party, i.e. the Conservatives, which you chose? That would ironically (given your views on such matters) remind me of this: “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you”
The UUP still has a lot which I dislike about it but the direction of movement indicated by (a)signing up to UCUNF and (b)the candidates listed above (which we should note include any seats they have a hope of winning) gives me hope for the future. As far as I can tell there is an internal battle ongoing in the UUP between the more orangey traditional element and the younger secular centre-right element represented by those candidates and a large number of their party officers – and so far its the modernisers who are succeeding overall.
Maybe you have answered this before but can I also enquire as to whether you intend to vote UCUNF at the election and thus provide a vote towards what is hopefully Cameron’s majority?