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CCHQ Now Employs Local Conservative Team

Published December 17, 2009 News 1 Comment
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I heard on the grapevine today that the 3 local Conservative staffers – previously employed by the NI Area of the Conservatives or the Conservative and Unionist Joint Committee – are now employed by Conservative HQ in London (CCHQ as it is elegantly known).

This is a move in the right direction.

I have made clear in the past that there has always been a fundamental imbalance in terms of funding of the joint organisation that was created between the Conservative Party and UUP.  Therefore it seemed counter-intuitive that Neil Johnston, the local Campaign Director, should be employed by the Joint Committee when his salary was essentially being paid by CCHQ.  Moreover, as a Joint Committee employee, Neil was in a strange way disconnected from his own Party’s support staff. 

Moreover it put Neil in a difficult position with the (dour) David Campbell and other UUP joint committee members who seemed to have an expectation that Neil should not take a Conservative position in joint committee meetings – as he was, in effect, employed by both Parties.  Hence Neil was pulled off the joint committee. 

Now the position is much clearer.  Moreover, the local Conservative Party organisation is also freed from the baggage that is the Ulster Unionist Party. And Neil can get on with being an Area agent for the Party proper. 

It’s clear that the UUP has very little to bring to the ‘pact’ given its inability to bring its sole MP with it.  Lady Sylvia is playing very hard to get – despite the Conservatives bending over backwards to woo her.  Now I gather most of the wooing is coming from the UUP leadership – but she’s having none of it.  Hopefully the Conservatives have come to the conclusion that the Lady’s not for turning from her New Labour ways. 

There is genuine desire here for the Conservatives to run real Westminster candidates – unhindered by UUP dead-wood.  It’s encouraging that the local campaiging team is now unencumbered.  Perhaps the Conservatives are, at last, showing some resolve to seek a mandate to govern this part of the United Kingdom – as the Conservative Party.

From Bizarre to Barking: The North Down Debacle

Published November 21, 2009 Opinion 6 Comments
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Once again the constituency of North Down is almost certain to provide the best of entertainment in the forthcoming general election.  What is it about this constituency that produces such mavericks?  From the camp Unionism of James Kilfedder to the giant ego of Bob McCartney, North Down is the epicentre of Northern Ireland political eccentricity. 

But soon we’re about to enter a whole new StarTrekian realm of oddness. 

Incumbent MP Sylvia Hermon, a New Labour acolyte, who has very limited ability to disguise her abject loathing of her own Party’s leadership, is on the verge of going independent.  By default the Conservative “nominee” for the seat should, therefore, be pushed forward as the agreed candidate.  Unless, of course, the local UUP constituency association puts forward an alternative candidate against the Lady.

However, to make matters even more bizarre, barking almost, the Alliance Party, in a fit of Fordian craziness, is about to support her Ladyship rather than the Alliance Party’s former European candidate, Ian Parsley.

Now the question this raises in my mind is, why?  Has Mr Parsley, in Alliance’s view, changed so fundamentally in his defection to the Conservatives to be unworthy of their support?  Has his involvement with Ian Duncan Smith’s Centre for Social Justice turned him into a venom spitting, sectarian firebrand?  Huh?

North Down, at its heart, is a decent constituency.  Voters there are independent minded – but they also want a more politically mainstream society – they proved that when they almost elected Dr Laurence Kennedy, as the Conservative candidate, back in 1992.

Jonathan Caine in From the Cold

Published November 14, 2009 Opinion 4 Comments
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Jonathan Caine has never really been separated from the Conservative Party for too long a period.  His spell at Bell Pottinger was short-lived – now he’s to return to CCHQ to become Owen Paterson’s “Chief of Staff”.  It’s a role he will be well used to.  He performed similar roles for previous Conservative NI spokesmen in the past – even prior to the local Conservatives being recognised. 

Jonathan was always luke-warm, at best, about the local Conservatives’ attempts to organise and contest elections in Northern Ireland.  At heart he’s more of an Ulster Unionist.  He has been very keen on the UCUNF project and during the early days of negotiation between the Conservatives here, and the UUP, his Bell Pottinger email address would mysteriously appear on the cc list of peeps on the Conservative side. 

Owen Polley over on Three Thousand Versts welcomes the return of Caine.  However, I’m not so sure.  His empathy tends in the direction of the UUP and its reintegration with the Conservative Party.  He has never seemed overly convinced of the equal citizenship argument – that only the replacement of the politics of the tribe will result in the fundamental change required in Northern Ireland politics.

In short, the problem with Jonathan Caine lies in his being, according to Owen Paterson, “one of the foremost experts on Northern Ireland politics”.  One could argue that an expert in Northern Ireland’s politics is the last thing Owen Paterson or Northern Ireland needs. 

Perhaps his “expert” status allows him to ajudge Northern Ireland’s politics as the stunted politics of the swamp.  However, unfortunately, I’m of the view that Caine’s life-long hobby is Northern Ireland politics.  He knows the characters, the nuances, the local flavours.  He’s like a Warhammer character collector. 

That is part of the problem.  There are enough experts on Northern Ireland politics here already and the hobby is, ultimately, pointless. 

However, I’m prepared to give Jonathan the benefit of the doubt – for now.

Time for Sir Reg to Believe the Words He Speaks

Published October 8, 2009 Opinion 2 Comments
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Later today Sir Reg Empey will address the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.  No doubt the speech will make clear how important it is that the home nations work together as one and that the people of Northern Ireland should have the right to participate in a political party that aspires to govern.  I know the kinds of words that will be used because I’ve been writing the words of political integration for decades.  Indeed, when the Conservative UUP project was initiated I wrote many of the words for the joint communiqués and speeches. 

However, the current arrangements between the two parties fall far short of what is required for real progress to be made.  The UUP’s structure – such as it is – is very poor at communications with its members.  Sir Reg is a poor leader and runs from confrontation.  He tries to please all the various camps in his Party and leaves people confused or bewildered.  It is because of this poor leadership that we have the situation in South Belfast – where a constituency Association has effectively pulled the rug from under the feet of the leadership.  South Belfast’s UUP minions are demanding an electoral pact – not with the Conservatives, but with the DUP.  South Belfast Unionists have lost all sight and understanding of what the Union is about and Sir Reg has done nothing to guide them.  He has yet to publically discipline the Association and his words at Party Conference today will ring hollow as a result.

Yesterday I had a conversation with Owen Paterson MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and asked him what the Party position was on South Belfast.  His words were very reassuring.  He repeated a line he has used very often.  “We will run Conservative candidates in every seat in the United Kingdom – including South Belfast.”  Indeed, Owen went on to make clear that if the UUP in South Belfast didn’t want to play ball – no problem.  The Conservatives have already short-listed a candidate for the seat – Peter McCann.  Peter is ideally positioned to take votes from across the constituency and all “community Backgrounds” – and could well take the seat from the SDLP.  Peter will give the voters of South Belfast the opportunity to vote Conservative.  Hopefully he will expose the sitting MP as one who rarely shows-up at Westminster, rarely votes and is rather expensive to maintain.  In that respect he’s very like DUP MPs. 

Over time, if this project is to work, the UUP must be fully integrated into the Conservative Party.  The current situation – two Party structures, different spokespeople, competing constituency organisations – is absurd if UUP members genuinely want to become part of mainstream Party politics.  Sir Reg should be making this clear today.  However, he won’t.  Sir Reg, unfortunately, is not really a Conservative – and nor are many of his members.  But if he really believes in the words he will speak today he needs to start the process of winding down the UUP and convincing his members to join the Conservative Party.  Then I might just believe the words he speaks.

It’s all been a bit quiet…

Published August 12, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Here's hoping that McNarry types don't apply. Wishful thinking perchance?

Here's hoping that McNarry types don't apply. Wishful thinking perchance?

Maybe there was a reason for the Conservatives and UUP to pick one of the quietest news weeks of the year to make this announcement re. Westminster candidate selection. 

Co-signed by the ever-dour David Campbell (Chairman of the UUP) and Tim Lewis, Chairman of the Conservatives in NI, there is nothing new in here.  Although some UUPers might find it surprising that they no longer have ultimate control over candidate selection.  From my point of view, of course, that’s a relief given the quality standard achieved in elections of old. 

My only hope is that the Orange McNarry types don’t apply.  But perhaps that’s wishful thinking. 

Joint Statement by the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Conservatives and the Chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party…

The European elections on the 4th of June were a tremendous success for the Conservatives and Unionists. People voted for change right across the United Kingdom and, by re-electing Jim Nicholson as one of the three MEPs from Northern Ireland, there are now 26 Conservatives and Unionists representing the UK- one of the strongest national delegations in Brussels.

This success was due to clear policies and unity of purpose during the campaign and to the hard work of our members working together on the ground.

From organising highly successful visits for Jim and his colleagues in the UUP and the Conservative Shadow Cabinet to ensuring that we had unrivalled coverage in the local papers during the campaign, we, as a coherent and united team, set down the marker for the General Election campaign to come.

Since the election, the Conservative and Ulster Unionist Joint Committee has been working on a process by which joint candidates will be selected to fight the campaign, almost certainly to be in the spring of next year. The process for selection is one in which the memberships and constituency associations of both parties will play a key part.

In accordance with the agreement reached between both parties, selections will run on a twin-track process. Both the Conservative Party and the Ulster Unionist Party will embark on procedures, in accordance with their own rules of selection, which will result in all Conservative and Ulster Unionist associations presenting a shortlist of one candidate each for consideration.

The shortlist of candidates will be subject to the agreement of both Party Leaders. All successful candidates at this stage will be considered by the Joint Committee, which will determine the final list of the preferred candidates. Special meetings of the Ulster Unionist Executive and the Northern Ireland Conservative Area Council will then ratify all candidates.

We must all work extremely hard to ensure that each candidate has the best opportunity possible to be elected come polling day. Those candidates who are successfully elected will, as David Cameron has said, take the Conservative whip with the full rights and responsibilities of any other Conservative MP. If the Conservatives win the next General Election, they will be eligible to become members of the Government itself.

Bringing Northern Ireland into the mainstream of national and international politics has been one of the key goals of this joint project to date. We must now push on from the success of the European campaign to ensure that this goal is reached. For the first time in generations people in Northern Ireland will be given the opportunity to vote for candidates drawn from both parties who will play a full role in determining their next national government.

We look forward to continuing this exciting project as we build up to the General Election and the chance for the people of Northern Ireland to really vote for positive change.

Tim Lewis, Chairman, Northern Ireland Conservatives
David Campbell, Chairman, Ulster Unionist Party

Well done Chloe (but let her get a word in!)

Published July 25, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Chloe Smith achieved an amazing result in Norwich North…just a pity DC didn’t allow her a word in edgeways in this video. 

Well done (erm) Chloe.

Our Capital

Published June 9, 2009 Uncategorized 4 Comments
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I’m in London. I love London. Can’t get enough of the place. Tapping this post in a restaurant in Hoxton – the new happening part of the city in Shoreditch.

Sometimes, it seems to me, people from Northern Ireland forget this is their capital city. Some consider Dublin to be. Quite a lot Belfast. But how blessed are we to have this city, London, as our capital? Or rather those of us who realize that one of the massive advantages of being British is having one of the world’s greatest, most culturally diverse, cities a mere hop away.

This place is what should make us most proud to be British.

Poor Performance

Published June 8, 2009 Opinion 11 Comments
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The poor third place result – in terms of first preference votes – for Jim Nicholson in the Euro Elections is a reflection of a number of factors.

First Jim never really embraced the ideals of UK rather than “Unionist” politics.  He seemed content to allow the usual Unionist/Nationalist debate ensue around him and rarely attempted to raise the debate.  He often seemed bemused.  He rarely seemed in command of his arguments.  He was a dull UUP candidate. 

It’s particularly galling that he was beaten, in terms of first preference votes, by a poor, ear-offending DUP candidate with a patently silly set of election messages.  Moreover, Nicholson never went after the Allister vote with any degree of conviction and it was clear that the UUP policy was not to offend Allister in the hope of achieving transfers.  Plus there was that ‘deal’ meeting a few months back. 

This is certainly not the stuff of clean, new starts in the politics of Northern Ireland.  It is, indeed, time for change.  But the UUP has failed to understand this and has done the minimum to sustain the deal with the Conservatives.  It achieved no dividend from the relationship with the Conservatives because it did nothing to seek one.

It’s clear that if this deal is to work the gauntlet is thrown down for Conservatives.  We need to establish non-sectarian right of centre politics here  - becauses the UUP seems to have no interest, no resolve, and no imagination as to what’s possible to achieve through modern, inclusive UK politics.

None of the Above

Published June 5, 2009 Opinion 6 Comments
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I exercised my democratic right and voted last night in the European Election.  However, judging from the electoral register in front of the official who issued my voting form, I was one of a tiny minority.  She also indicated that, in my Lisburn ward at least, turnout was awful.  Given the number of lines through voters on her sheet I’d estimate turnout of around 30% max at my time of voting (around 9.00pm). 

The line-up of candidates is part of the explanation.  The ‘headline’ DUP candidate, with her excruciating voice, was an utter voter turn-off – not just against the DUP but for local politics in general.  Allister came across as a nasty little man, wittering on about the Protestant community.  The Shinners obviously just regard the whole EU enterprise as a money spinner.  And Jim Nicholson of UCUNF never really mastered the ability to sell the Conservative and Unionist project as anything other than a repackaging of the UUP.  A real opportunity missed and a very dull candidate (regardless of his EU experience).

However young Ian Parsley came across as competent in the campaign (despite an awful Alliance PEB).  And the Green candidate, Agnew, gave a respectable performance – setting himself apart from the tribal antics of the other candidates very well (just a pity the Greens’ manifesto is up the left). 

However, none of this was enough to shake the electorate out of apathy for politics.  No-one cares about the EU – it’s too distant to get enough people away from the opening night of Big Brother and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.  Throw in the expenses scandal, the terrible line-up of mainstream candidates, a Westminster government in disarray, and an Assembly that gets little if anything done, who could blame people for sitting at home?

Perhaps if we added a “None of the Above” box to the voting paper turnout might improve.

DUP Defection to Conservatives

Published June 1, 2009 News , Opinion 1 Comment
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Deirdre%20NelsonI was delighted to read, today, about Councillor Deirdre Nelson’s defection to the Conservative Party. 

It is also particularly gratifying that she chose to defect to the Conservatives rather than the UUP (she chose the real thing rather than some dodgy brand).

I’ve just been reading Councillor Nelson’s biography and it reads like a true Conservative’s.  Well educated, well travelled, with obvious concern for her local community. 

I’m just a tad concerned that her reason for defecting was because of old Ian’s retirement from leadership of the DUP.  Does she regard the new leadership a bit too namby pamby?  Who knows.  But I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and discard any questions in my mind about why anyone would want to be a DUP member in the first place. 

Political conversions are possible s’pose…

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