Since our last Conference we have had a very interesting year politically.  Indeed for many Members of Parliament it has been “interesting” in the way the inhabitants of  China use the term.  One consequence of the expenses scandal has been a deepening of the distrust, and a growing contempt for politicians.  This is not a healthy situation for our Country but happily in a few months the people will have an opportunity to replace those who have disgraced themselves and for Ulster especially those who have failed to keep to the promises they gave in their Manifestos last time.

It is now certain that many of our local representatives in Westminister and Stormont have found out the hard way that when you indulge in immoral compromise you very swiftly become deeply compromised and then fall into public contempt.  In such a situation many of the members of the D.U.P. and U.U.P. have resorted to spin in an effort to misdirect attention and mislead the Unionist electorate.  They do so right across the whole field of political activity.

  For example, Gregory Campbell said recently that 99% of the population were for peace. If he had went down to Mr. Brady’s funeral in Strabane he would have seen scant evidence of peaceful intentions and anyone who watched the recent Newsnight Programme on the “Dissident I.R.A.”, which is really the openly active I.R.A., would know that there is a real terrorist threat – and it’s not going away.  Indeed when there is the slightest sign of Unionist resistance to the onward march of S.F., violence is threatened – confirmed this week by the Independent Monitoring  Commission.  In fact, as the active segment of the I.R.A. grows the need for clarity in respect of security needs, and  clarity of thought in political matters increase.  Despite the evidence of terrorist activity the spin from London, Washington and Stormont is that we have a wonderful settlement in Northern Ireland and that the same principles should be applied in other trouble spots around the World.

The question, of course, is whether Stormont is really “working” and is a success.  Is it really an efficient body of Government like the Stormont created in 1920, and has it a future?  What do its Members really think?  Look at it with a dispassionate eye.

The impasse in Education remains;
The Policing and Justice issue is unresolved;
The constant trickle of leaks for political advantage;
The row over the possibility of new voting procedures;
The constant bickering – between all the powersharing partners.
These things, and many more, do not conjure up a picture of an Executive working in harmony.

It is not, therefore, like the old 1920 Stormont which was a structure which could and did work – this is more like a contest in ‘gutting herring’.

Those who sit in Stormont know it and that is the real reason the M.P’s. want to hang on to their Parliamentary seats, including Mr. Durkan who is departing from the leadership of his decaying Party.

The fact is, of course, that the word “powersharing” is designed to produce a warm glow of fellowship, co-operation and love – yet when you try to analyse what it really means in practice it proves to be a very slippery concept.

At its very root lies the desire to deny to blot out all differences of political and constitutional outlook and that is something that simply cannot exist in any free nation.

What we have, therefore, is the indivisible sovereign power of decision making sliced up like traybakes with the various ministers holding executive power within their own domain but not working to a common purpose!  Rather they all seek to thwart the policies of their fellow Ministers!   Unionist parties want the U.K. to remain intact – no ifs or ands or buts or maybes.  Nationalist parties want to break it up!  That is why the Unionist and Nationalists exist as political entities. 

It seems as if Labour will lose the Election – we have had experience of their Ulster Policy. 

What, however, is the Policy of the Conservative Party?  We are told that the U.U.P/Tory link up puts Ulster politicians at the very heart of Government for the first time and that this means that Ulster Unionism will be able to influence Government Policy on Ulster – BALDERDASH.  My predecessor in the Commons, Robin Chichester Clark was a member of Ted Heath’s government and the U.U.P. members took the Conservative Whip.  Indeed, Sir Knox Cunningham was P.P.S. to Harold McMillan! You can’t get much closer to the heart of Government than that.  It counted for nothing with Ted Heath!  It now seems that the promise of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty has also been buried.  What weight then can you put on Conservative Party commitments?

In all truth both the U.U.P. and D.U.P. came to a fork in the road and they both took the wrong fork!   Hence arises their efforts to give the impression of success, £1 billion at St. Andrews, £1 billion for Policing and Justice, is it the same billion?  Money for the R.U.C.R., money for this and money for that, and the National debt rising £175 billion this year.  Come off it folks, face facts.

This is all misdirection to try and keep concealed the real point at issue for the Northern Ireland electorate – namely that the system of Governance created by the Belfast and St. Andrews Agreements is a factory designed to produce rancour and deadlock.  I am certain that many members of the D.U.P. and  U.U.P. know that and so do the electorate.  That is why  this Party got 66,000 votes; that is why we have a steady trickle of people to this Party; that is why so many Unionists didn’t vote.

Those nonvoting Unionists knew it was wrong and they are still wondering what to do about it.

 Some of our Unionist political representatives are in denial.  For some, Party unity comes first.  Some want to hold on to their job. 

What can we as a Party do about these things?

Stay true to the principles which brought you from your old Party or none, to this one.  Always remember that our first principle is the Union – the unifying principle for all Unionists.  Make your decisions on Policy, not personalities, even if others don’t!  We have learned that some former political opponents were also true Unionists, and so we have been able to put our past personal quarrels aside and work for Ulster’s good.  Convince others that we are united in our goals and that a united people is the means of achieving them. Remember that Lord Brookeborough sought an umbrella that was big enough to shelter all Unionist people in a common Policy.

Jim Molyneaux was the last true Unionist Leader of that type.

Our Jim has got to be the next one. 

66,000 of our supporters voted in the E.U. Election.  Our job is to convince the rest of our supporters to come out and vote in the next election.  I call on those who wish to be active in a Political programme which can unite Unionists – join us.  To those who were once active and now are not, to those who are reluctant activists in other Unionist Parties – please halt no more between two opinions.  Your conscience is telling you what is right and what you should do.  I say to each Unionist voter “your vote combined with others is the mightiest weapon in Politics”.  It is greater than any Prime Minister, greater than threats of violence, greater than the gunman.  Most people in this World would love to have a free vote.   Your conscience tells you what you must do with yours. 

When the next election rolls round, just do it, vote T.U.V.