A very warm welcome to conference 2015 here at the Ramada.
Yesterday we had a feast of speakers on Health and Education, not to mention our motivational speaker David Jeffrey. David as many of you know, used to manage a minor football team here in Northern Ireland, but in order not to split this party I will move on!
Our annual conference dinner last night was the best attended we have held since it began over 15 years ago and was an opportunity for us to relax and enjoy the company of our many guests and friends and hear of the excellent work being done by Dan Gordon to open up the Arts to many young people from deprived backgrounds, who may not have had their imaginations challenged in such a positive way.
In my Report, published in the conference booklet, you will see I entitled it ‘Breakthrough.’ I think it is no exaggeration to describe the outcome of the General Election as a breakthrough for the Ulster Unionist party. Coming as it did one year after a very successful election cycle in 2014, getting back onto the green benches at Westminster has been a transformational development and is opening up doors for our Party which have hitherto been closed to us.
These results would not have been possible without the decisions taken by Mike Nesbitt last spring, some of which were not too popular even with our own supporters. With Northern Ireland’s seats at Westminster equally divided at 9 all between Unionists and Non- Unionists in the last Parliament, one further loss would have put anti unionists in a majority for the first time since 1921. What kind of message would that have sent out? However, now there are 11 Unionists and 7 Nationalists and this achievement has come about because of the actions of this Party. Mike; we and all those who believe in the Union owe you a debt of gratitude for making and standing over those difficult decisions.
Earlier this week we saw another sequencing process begin with sycophantic articles appearing about Peter Robinson in the local press.
This was closely followed by the abandonment by the First Minister of his ludicrous Yo Yo Ministers stunt upon the release of the Report into paramilitary activity, even though that report went far further than the Chief Constable in August by stating that PIRA members believe that the Provisional Army Council exists and that PAC oversees both PIRA and Sinn Fein with an overarching strategy!
So Peter goes back to business as usual sending the clear signal to Sinn Fein that they can get away with it again. How awful. It almost appears that the First minister is under some sort of hidden pressure. Nothing else explains many of his recent irrational decisions.
I think most people were disturbed by the content of the Report; some of us were even surprised by its’ frankness. But most of us were also angry that Sinn Fein has deliberately falsified its links with the IRA when credible reports on both sides of the border confirm it is still around.
This denial is sapping credibility out of politics and must be reversed if we are to create effective and acceptable devolution at Stormont. The Executive cannot continue to be built on a lie. We are not naïve enough to believe that the current generation of Sinn Fein leaders is free from their past activities and connections, but treat our intelligence with some respect; stop trying to continue with a series of lies; let’s get the truth out on the table and deal with paramilitary organisations, all of them, to create a firmer foundation for the future. Gerry and Marty – own up. You may have pulled the wool over Peter’s eyes but you won’t succeed with us!
The Ulster Unionist Party has always been a champion for devolution at Stormont. We did all in our power to see it returned. Now, however, it makes me both sad and angry to see what has become of the Institutions that we helped to restore.
Having a local Administration within the Union should give us the opportunity to tailor policies to our own local specifications-to allow us to recover from the terrible times of the conflict and try and help those who were so directly affected by violence.
It is true that Stormont has taken some good decisions, but Conference, the present Administration is the worst so far and is failing on nearly all fronts. This cannot be as good as it gets.
A fifth of the population is on a health service waiting list – educational underachievement is some sections of the community is worse than it was 15 years ago; for the first time since 1921 Stormont cannot balance its books and is racking up huge debts. The last point is not yet appreciated by the public. By the end of this financial year, Stormont will owe close to £2.5 billion in debt! That will cost us up to £80m in interest charges each year and rising. Do you realise that as a result of the Stormont House deal and the massive financial mismanagement by DFP and OFMDFM, London is allowing us to borrow another £700m to pay off up to 20,000 civil servants and public sector workers? Knowing 5 years ago what their budgets were, successive Finance Ministers have done nothing to bring our spending into line with the Block Grant, and instead of a steady and planned reduction in staff, using natural wastage and redeployment which would have cost us nothing, we have this outrageous and wholly avoidable crash landing with emergency pay outs. It’s scandalous.
Usually at this stage of our conference we have a slot where our outgoing Minister, Danny Kennedy MLA gives us a report on the Northern Ireland Executive and his Departmental activity for the period ahead. Because of the Party’s decision to leave the Executive, that is not possible this year.
I want, on your behalf, to express our thanks to Danny for all his solid work over the last five years and I know you will wish to warmly demonstrate that in the usual way!
We have a very full exhibition area today with some 49 organisations represented. Please take the opportunity to go and see the stalls-remember these organisations support us so go and support them!
Last month, in an historic vote, the Labour Party appointed a leadership team that contains two very pro republican members at the top. Never before have we seen such a dramatic shift in that Party’s leadership.
The shadow Secretary of State is speaking to us here after lunch, at 2.00pm. After speaking Vernon will answer your questions.
Given the importance of the Opposition’s position in our affairs, I would ask that you attend, listen carefully and ask the relevant questions. Rarely has such an important address been scheduled for a shadow Secretary of State.
A fringe meeting is being held at 12.55 in the Madrona suite 2nd floor by the NI Confederation of Health and Social Care. This is a must hear fringe meeting. Plan to attend.
Finally I want to thank all our staff and volunteers for all their work over recent months in organising this conference. We really appreciate your work.
It is a long time since this Party has had such a wonderful opportunity to regain a pivotal role in our Province’s affairs; later Mike will set out his thoughts on the way ahead, but there can be no doubt now that we have momentum and the Leader’s judgement has proven right while others have floundered in indecision and cronyism. Let us set ourselves the task now to finish that long march back to the top line of Ulster politics!