I understand however that, like  defending   the   Euro   project   in   its   present   form   there   is   an   enormous amount of Political Capital involved in the ʻPeace Processʼ and its anticipated end result.

Some in non Political society, and some in politics, are at best agnostic on the benefits of the Union.       

They reckon they will still be all right no matter what happens. Many in Stormont, including,I fear, nearly all in the Executive, have a huge ego to protect. Some love their Office and its trappings; some love the limited power that SF/IRA allows them to exercise.                 

Most of course are deeply attached to their salary.

Politics    should     not  be   about    these    baubles     and   personal welfare. Politicians are there to look after the welfare of the people who elected them and to care not only about the short-term but to ensure the long-term welfare of the whole nation and its members.  Anyone watching the unfolding strategy of SF/IRA and Irish nationalism in general can see that at every level they are engaged   in   a   constant   attack   on   the   fabric   of   the   Union,   snipping   it   apart thread by thread.    

Furthermore, they are at the same time creating new cords to bind Northern Ireland into the Irish Republic and its culture.              

In other words they  are gradually making the ties with Britain more tenuous,  creating more difference   between   us   and at   the same   time drawing us   closer   to the   Irish Republic by diminishing the differences between us.                

Simply put, the Northern Ireland   system   of   Government   set   up by   the Ageements   is a one way ratchet with each irrevocable inch taken followed by another.

I,   more   that   most,   know   that   you   donʼt   get   much   thanks   for   telling people   that   the decisions   they are taking   are   wrong. I   fear   that   even less thanks will come when you point out that events are proving that your advice was right. Those who were wrong get into a state of denying the plain facts, or claim  that  they  actually agreed  with you  all  along,  or most  craven of  all, claim that they couldn’t do anything else!

My   Friends,    the   future   of  this  land   depends upon    sound    political judgment  about  the consequences which will follow from a particular course of action, and this often entails hard practical decisions - not taking the easy option.    The events of  recent  years proves that  the judgment  of  those  who lead and support this Party were correct in the past and are still correct today.

We are not blown about by every transient populist bubble.                  

We are not into frothy   political   fashion.   Our decisions   are   governed   by   hard facts.         To those who wonder why we  are still here I  reply; We are here because we believe in the basic principles of  democratic rule. We are committed to the unity of  the Queenʼs Realm  and to being  members  of  a Great  Nation. We believe that   our   future   lies   in   the   United Kingdom   for   we   have a feeling   of unity with our fellow countrymen and women in Great  Britain and a converse feeling of  difference with the culture and loyalties of  the citizens  of  the Irish Republic.

We watch the Great State occasions in London with a deep emotional pride and largely viewed the recent election of a new President in the Republic with stony indifference.

Can I finish   by   congratulating   our   Party Leader on   his election   to the Assembly.     

It   is   a lonely   post,   surrounded by people who dislike him,   who denigrate      what    he   says   and    some     who    hate   him    because     their   own conscience       condemns       them    for  their  own    moral    disintegration.      Why? Because they know he is right in what he says.     

Jim, you said you would be a thorn in their flesh. In fact  you are a great big cactus inside their shirts and inside minds.

It is my prayer, and hope, that the Unionists of Ulster will be heartened by what one man is doing.         

That they rise from the dungeon of  despair into which they were cast by present  and past political chameleons who betrayed them.  

That they will behave as their ancestors did and restore our land to its former happy constitutional stability.

From my own contacts with a wide cross section of Unionist people it is clear that more and more of them recognize that we are right.

We   have   to convince   those   many   thousands   who agree   with   us   that they   can   change   things   for   the better   by   voting   for T.U.V.   -   the only   Party determined to bring about change.           

When they do, what  a happy bring new day will dawn.  Let us all work to bring it about!