The Alliance Party

:00:20. > :00:25.Hello and welcome to the conference. For the first time we are live to

:00:25. > :00:34.hear the Alliance Party leader deliver his speech to the face full.

:00:34. > :00:39.There are -- faithful. The party has hit new heights. Has it peaked?

:00:39. > :00:44.With one ministerial post about to be scrapped, where does the party

:00:44. > :00:49.go next? Naomi Long is addressing delegates and were shortly

:00:50. > :00:55.introduce David Ford. We will hear that speech life. First I am joined

:00:55. > :01:00.by our political editor. This is the first time the party has got

:01:00. > :01:08.together to celebrate their success in last year's election. For so

:01:08. > :01:13.long they were out on the fringes, behind the big four. It felt itself

:01:13. > :01:17.marginalised. In it now feels it has broken into new ground and has

:01:17. > :01:23.two of ministers in the executive. One minister was through the

:01:23. > :01:29.special system, created for justice. There is the sense that alliance

:01:29. > :01:34.has more than its mandate. Now it faces the challenge in the deal

:01:34. > :01:38.that was done between Sinn Fein and the DUP with employment and

:01:39. > :01:44.learning. That seems likely to happen over the course of this

:01:44. > :01:49.summer. The change will be made potentially in the autumn. They

:01:49. > :01:53.face challenges in the next Westminster election. There will be

:01:53. > :02:03.Banbury changes. A good time for them right now but they must insure

:02:03. > :02:10.they can move on. -- ensure. They were pointing out they have done

:02:10. > :02:15.well in council elections. They did particularly well in the greater

:02:15. > :02:21.Belfast area. They showed great strength with winning Castlereagh.

:02:21. > :02:25.It is significant they are holding their conference in the La Mon

:02:25. > :02:34.Hotel in the Castlereagh airier. They say they're getting into some

:02:34. > :02:40.council areas but they face many challenges if David Ford wishes to

:02:40. > :02:44.keep calm and start challenging the SDLP or the Unionists for that 4th

:02:44. > :02:50.spot. There has been talked this week about what will happen. Will

:02:50. > :02:55.they walk away from the Department of Justice portfolio? A lot of

:02:55. > :03:03.angry statements for the alliance. Naomi Long has talked about the

:03:03. > :03:08.shameless way, as she would see it, in which opponents have taken the

:03:08. > :03:14.Department away. While there is anger, they seem to pull her

:03:14. > :03:20.punches. There is no sense that Alliance is ready to walk away.

:03:20. > :03:26.They need guarantees of job security. What they have any

:03:26. > :03:33.success? There does not seem to be an appetite for it? I think they

:03:33. > :03:37.are stuck between a rock and a hard place. If they say, we're walking

:03:37. > :03:44.out of this executive... They used to portray themselves as the real

:03:44. > :03:52.opposition at Stormont but if they walked away they would have to

:03:52. > :03:57.explain it. That is the difficulty. I do not think I get any sense on

:03:57. > :04:01.the ground of enthusiasm to pull out of the executive altogether. It

:04:01. > :04:08.looks like they will not like it very much but limpet in the end.

:04:08. > :04:13.What about the speech by Naomi Long? She talked about this

:04:13. > :04:19.shameless tactic over employment and learning. She talked about a

:04:19. > :04:26.reference to Peter Robinson and his support for shared education. She

:04:26. > :04:30.talked about it as if it were a new idea. Alliance has been among the

:04:30. > :04:34.pioneers in terms of integrated education down through the ears. A

:04:34. > :04:39.joke at the expense of Alastair Macdonald, she said she could not

:04:39. > :04:44.see him because of the lights. That was a joke at his expense. Another

:04:44. > :04:49.joke I picked up what she had a section that dealt with the past.

:04:50. > :04:55.This is what the alliance has been calling for. Talks for a consensus

:04:55. > :05:01.on how to deal with the past. Owen Paterson has started exploratory

:05:01. > :05:07.dialogue along these lines. He has not shown sufficient enthusiasm to

:05:07. > :05:10.push this further. She pointed at she sees herself very much in the

:05:10. > :05:15.lead position with the commemorations, having had the

:05:15. > :05:19.debate at Westminster. She has said we are pushing the Government

:05:20. > :05:25.unless. Northern Ireland has already said it has had its budget

:05:25. > :05:33.discussions before that particular debate that Naomi Long raised. She

:05:33. > :05:39.has to find a way. This is true, for everyone, of getting back into

:05:39. > :05:42.the mix. The MPs, as were the MEPs, continue to get missed out.

:05:42. > :05:47.Particularly in the run-up to the next Westminster election, it will

:05:47. > :05:52.be interesting to see how she gets back and put herself in the

:05:52. > :05:57.forefront. She is continuing her speech to delegates. It is

:05:57. > :06:03.difficult, particularly in the media age, to keep that profile and

:06:03. > :06:09.to keep it in the public consciousness. A lot of the stuff

:06:09. > :06:12.that becomes public dialogue, to do with education, it gets decided at

:06:12. > :06:17.Stormont. That seems to be the place where the local media is

:06:17. > :06:21.focused. As we get further decisions coming up to be made over

:06:21. > :06:26.the next few weeks and months, for instance the devolution of

:06:26. > :06:32.corporation tax which was referred to, we will get maybe more profile

:06:32. > :06:36.for the MPs. That will come down to negotiations between the

:06:36. > :06:42.Westminster government and the executive. Let's take a look at

:06:42. > :06:49.Stephen Farry speech. He was a great pains to point out what he

:06:49. > :06:55.had done well. He decided he was going to ignore, how dare you take

:06:55. > :06:59.the job off me? He said if corporation tax is devolved in

:06:59. > :07:04.Northern Ireland, that is not the be-all and end-all. We have to look

:07:04. > :07:08.at the kind of skills that investors will have to require. He

:07:08. > :07:13.will publish research on what skills might be necessary in the

:07:13. > :07:19.future. He has launched a pilot programme for opening up careers

:07:19. > :07:23.centres on Saturday morning. Within the current market, people are in

:07:23. > :07:27.employment but looking to change careers. This would open up the

:07:27. > :07:36.Careers Service if, during the week, they cannot use the services that

:07:36. > :07:40.are there at the moment. What about the shared future? Both Stephen

:07:40. > :07:49.Farry and David thought will start a shared future proving all the

:07:49. > :07:54.policies in that department. -- David Ford. That is about Section

:07:54. > :07:58.75 of the Northern Ireland Act. Ministers will say, we have run

:07:58. > :08:06.this through. What will be the impact of this policy in terms of

:08:07. > :08:12.equality? The Alliance will say, will this policy help with the

:08:12. > :08:19.shared future? Here is David Ford going to the podium. He is about to

:08:19. > :08:26.begin his speech was dug they will start to undertake that. -- his

:08:26. > :08:31.speech. He might not be there for that much longer. We will hopefully

:08:31. > :08:36.hear that speech now. He is going to make a quip about that. Thank

:08:36. > :08:42.you for that introduction. I was at the back of the hall, listening to

:08:42. > :08:47.talking. A few weeks ago the Ulster Unionists elected a few -- a new

:08:47. > :08:53.leader. He told everyone he grew up in the leafy suburbs of East

:08:53. > :08:59.Belfast. He said, if I had lived a mile closer to the city centre, I

:08:59. > :09:04.could not have been leader. Naomi Long was closer to the city centre.

:09:04. > :09:08.She got where she got, not because an accident of birth, but because

:09:08. > :09:13.of hard work and determination. She was Councillor and Lord Mayor

:09:13. > :09:17.because of her dedication to the people of Belfast. She won a

:09:17. > :09:21.parliamentary seat but inspired dozens of us to go out and work for

:09:21. > :09:25.her and thousands to go out and work for her. We do not care where

:09:25. > :09:30.you are from and what school you went too. What we care about is

:09:30. > :09:35.what you are doing to make Northern Ireland a better place. We could

:09:35. > :09:45.have no finer example than Naomi Long.

:09:45. > :09:51.

:09:52. > :09:55.Conference, we meet today, at least in part to celebrate. Everyone else

:09:55. > :10:00.is celebrating so I would join in as well. We will celebrate the

:10:00. > :10:04.tremendous election victories of last year. 50% increase in the

:10:04. > :10:09.number of councillors, including representation in four councils

:10:09. > :10:13.where previously there was none. A bigger group continuing to hold the

:10:13. > :10:22.balance of power and then shall good sense in Belfast. Twice as

:10:22. > :10:29.many councillors as the UUP here in Castlereagh. Then there were the

:10:29. > :10:37.Assembly elections. All six outgoing MLA is returned easily.

:10:37. > :10:43.Stewart Dickson succeeded our former leader. Total vote up 60%

:10:43. > :10:50.over all. Those votes Annat extra seats giving us the entitlement,

:10:50. > :10:55.for the first time ever, a specific seat at the executives table. A

:10:55. > :11:01.couple of weeks later, Stephen Fry joined me at the executive table.

:11:01. > :11:06.In half of Northern Ireland, we are now not the 5th party. In half of

:11:06. > :11:12.Northern Ireland, as a result of last year's elections, where now

:11:12. > :11:22.the third party. That is some progress, that is some victory.

:11:22. > :11:26.

:11:26. > :11:29.That is leading change. Just at the beginning of this week,

:11:29. > :11:35.a couple of journalists reminded me of the Accra sea of some of my

:11:35. > :11:39.recent election predictions. -- accuracy. I said that Naomi Long

:11:39. > :11:45.could win the East Belfast and she did. I predicted we could have two

:11:45. > :11:50.alliance ministers and we have. Wait for it, this year, here is my

:11:50. > :12:00.election prediction. There is not going to be an election in May. If

:12:00. > :12:03.

:12:03. > :12:07.there were, boy would we do well the Shia! -- this year. With no

:12:07. > :12:15.election, it gives a bit more time for a detached reflection on where

:12:15. > :12:19.we stand. This weekend is the 42nd birthday of the party. We are

:12:19. > :12:23.particularly looking at the 14 years since the Good Friday

:12:23. > :12:28.Agreement. Back in 1998, in the immediate post agreement period,

:12:28. > :12:33.there were high hopes of a political shift, that support would

:12:33. > :12:37.move away from so-called extremes. They were not fulfilled. For the

:12:37. > :12:44.time it was difficult to convey the role of our party, when people

:12:44. > :12:53.could have been forgiven for thinking the job of Alliance had

:12:53. > :12:59.been done. There was ex -- acceptance of the principle of

:12:59. > :13:03.consent. We knew that the party was about more than these objectives.

:13:03. > :13:08.They were a framework within which we would work for a genuinely

:13:08. > :13:12.shared future. In the language of the civil engineer, the agreement

:13:12. > :13:16.was not a ceiling to ambitions but the foundation on which we would

:13:16. > :13:21.build a different society. The prevailing view elsewhere was that

:13:21. > :13:26.leadership was granted to the UUP and SDLP and subsequently to be DUP

:13:26. > :13:30.and Sinn Fein. It was assumed all would be resolved by the political

:13:30. > :13:36.elite on either side of the old divide. We should acknowledge there

:13:36. > :13:42.has been some progress. We welcome that progress. We are in a better

:13:42. > :13:46.place than a few years ago. We will recognise genuine movement towards

:13:46. > :13:51.Our vision from any quarter. Let us not be deluded and shy away from

:13:51. > :13:55.pointing out where those high expectations of 1998, the hopes of

:13:55. > :14:00.an overwhelming majority who voted in that referendum on the agreement,

:14:00. > :14:03.simply have not been fulfilled. We will not be frightened away from

:14:04. > :14:07.pointing out where we need to go further or when the rhetoric of

:14:07. > :14:12.Unionist and nationalist leaders is not reflected by the reality of

:14:12. > :14:18.what we see in the communities we represent. That is why the party is

:14:18. > :14:22.so relevant and why support is growing. Those who founded The

:14:22. > :14:31.lines were impatient for change and impatient to see a transformation

:14:31. > :14:35.of Northern Ireland. -- Alliance. They formed an alliance of

:14:35. > :14:39.progressives who put the past behind them to change Northern

:14:40. > :14:43.Ireland. That small group had a real vision, not just division, a

:14:43. > :14:48.vision which they determined to put into practice and which they

:14:48. > :14:52.sacrificed much to achieve. Sadly, we said farewell last year to

:14:52. > :14:57.Oliver and Naomi Long has already paid significant tribute to him. He

:14:57. > :15:02.was the driving force be - is back behind the formation of the party.

:15:02. > :15:07.He brought his background and commitment to non-sectarian

:15:07. > :15:16.politics. He was minister in the office of law reform. He led the

:15:16. > :15:19.party right through to the assembly and was actively involved in a

:15:19. > :15:26.negotiating team in the run-up to the Good Friday Agreement. As Naomi

:15:26. > :15:31.Long reminded us, he came so close to winning and East Belfast seat in

:15:31. > :15:35.1979 but he lived to see Naomi Long win that seat and play his part in

:15:35. > :15:40.the campaign two years ago. Who can forget the powerful and determined

:15:40. > :15:44.speech he made at the anniversary dinner? Today we remember all that

:15:44. > :15:51.he achieved with thanks and gratitude. But for his leadership

:15:51. > :16:01.we would not be where we are today it and nor would not an island. --

:16:01. > :16:04.

:16:04. > :16:11.Oliver and that team were impatient. They weren't prepared to accept the

:16:11. > :16:17.status quo. Nor are we in 2012. That is why we panned the cohesion

:16:17. > :16:21.strategy dub lished in 2010. Should we have praised their achievement

:16:21. > :16:27.in agreeing any strategy? Some may say so, but I is a no, our job,

:16:27. > :16:32.even though we're in the Executive is not to walk away from our

:16:32. > :16:37.principles. Our task is to hold to our ideals and denand actions that

:16:37. > :16:43.we knee are needed. So even though we have worked with other parties

:16:43. > :16:46.to produce a strategy, we will not sign up to anything that sells that

:16:46. > :16:51.name short. The test for our support will be high. What is at

:16:51. > :16:55.stake is whether orpt the Executive will deliver for our community on

:16:55. > :17:02.the biggest challenge facing us toe creation of a genuinely shared

:17:02. > :17:07.future. Let me be clear, I can tr CIS strategy is one of the most

:17:07. > :17:12.important pieces of work the Assembly will do. I have asked

:17:13. > :17:17.Chris Little to make it a priority, to engage with the other parties to

:17:17. > :17:22.work for to strongest strategy to enable us to build a shared future.

:17:22. > :17:27.I will not sign off on any strategy that does not result in more

:17:27. > :17:30.children being edge kaited together, more people living in shared

:17:30. > :17:38.communities, more interface structures coming a process for

:17:38. > :17:44.dealing with the scourge of flags and m blems that blight so many --

:17:44. > :17:54.emblems that blight so many areas. I will not compromise on a shared

:17:54. > :17:58.

:17:58. > :18:04.But of course, we know that everyone's talking of a shared

:18:04. > :18:08.future these days. When he is not threat on the collapse the power

:18:08. > :18:16.sharing Executive over the badge on a pap, Peter Robinson is talking of

:18:16. > :18:19.a shared future. When they're not insisting on maintaining the

:18:19. > :18:24.sectarian part of the agreement, the SDLP talk about a shared future.

:18:24. > :18:29.When he is not wrapping himself in the Union flag, Mike Nesbitt's

:18:29. > :18:32.talking about a shared future. When they're not cutting the funding of

:18:32. > :18:37.the kpross community youth programmes, Sinn Fein are talking

:18:37. > :18:43.about a shared future. But talk is cheap. Like a ticket for the odd

:18:43. > :18:48.sports vent being played by the other side, genuine leader will

:18:48. > :18:57.turn up at winds sor Park before and not after God save the Queen.

:18:57. > :19:07.Or arrive in arma before the Dr McKenna cup match. Skres churs are

:19:07. > :19:14.

:19:14. > :19:18.empty if they don't lead to actions Because what costs in leadership is

:19:18. > :19:23.to actually lead. To go into community and talk about lowering

:19:23. > :19:27.barriers, and about building connections rather than fences.

:19:27. > :19:32.What Peter Robinson preachs in the press is what he and his DUP

:19:32. > :19:37.colleagues should actually put into practice on the streets of Belfast.

:19:38. > :19:43.And what costs is also to face down bards of schools and say to them,

:19:43. > :19:47.sorry, we know you're proud of your history, but time has come to think

:19:47. > :19:52.of the future and segregation isn't part of the future that any of us

:19:52. > :19:56.should be paying taxes for whra. Martin McGuinness claims to aspire

:19:56. > :20:01.to, he and Sinn Fein should deliver in relation to teacher training.

:20:01. > :20:05.Those men have spent time look back to the achievements of our

:20:05. > :20:10.industrial past. But in doing so, how much attention have they paid

:20:10. > :20:16.to the fact that politicians' actions in the decade of 1910 to

:20:16. > :20:22.1920 entrenched the divisions that we live with today, the politicians

:20:22. > :20:27.ee whose mantle they claim to inherit. So let's learn the lessons

:20:27. > :20:31.and look forward. There is a question to be asked are we to

:20:31. > :20:39.spend ten years rewriting the past, or writing a few stpuech? A shared

:20:39. > :20:43.future. A future for all of us, freed from the sectarian dogmas of

:20:43. > :20:47.past. Just look around this room, just look at who we are, the

:20:47. > :20:51.diverse backgrounds we come fr, look at what we say and what we do,

:20:51. > :20:55.look at what we campaigned for in councils in Westminster, in the

:20:55. > :21:00.Assembly and in the two departments we run. Look at the shared future

:21:00. > :21:04.check list we produced and ask could any other party subscribe

:21:04. > :21:07.tulle ten points? You have heard from Steven about his work in the

:21:07. > :21:12.department for employment and learning, you know what a

:21:12. > :21:16.difference it is making to have not just a competent minister, but an

:21:16. > :21:23.Alliance minister, and how steefren is using his opportunity to work

:21:23. > :21:27.for a shared future. We all know that the DUP and Sinn Fein have

:21:27. > :21:31.stated their intention to remove the department for employment and

:21:31. > :21:36.learning, there are two possible explanations. Perhaps it is just

:21:36. > :21:40.vandalism against an important economic department, rather than

:21:40. > :21:44.the properly thought through reform that we want to see. But maybe it

:21:44. > :21:49.is malice against Alliance, because of the strength of this party is a

:21:49. > :21:54.threat to the big two, specialfully east Belfast. It happens all over

:21:54. > :21:58.the world, ministers lose their posts. That is politics. But it

:21:58. > :22:03.looks as if Stephen is to establish a record. He is the first minister

:22:03. > :22:13.anywhere in nez islands threatened with the sack, because both he and

:22:13. > :22:22.

:22:22. > :22:25.his party are successful in what As you have heard, Stephen is

:22:26. > :22:29.working on a strategy for young people not in education, working or

:22:29. > :22:34.training and he has dealt with tuition fees in higher education

:22:34. > :22:39.and tackled vested interests ore the way we segregate teaching

:22:39. > :22:46.training. So in case you think it is on Del that is achieving. Let me

:22:46. > :22:50.say something stab work of the department for adjustment -- about

:22:50. > :22:55.the work of the department of justice. Well the work is not yet

:22:55. > :22:59.complete. It is clear that we waste significant sums, because of the

:22:59. > :23:07.segregated nature of our society. Last year I was able to tell

:23:07. > :23:11.conference we were developing a new community safety strategy. As I

:23:11. > :23:15.said then, would we have included the word shared without an Alliance

:23:15. > :23:18.minister? The department has a key role in supporting the police, the

:23:18. > :23:23.reforms to establish new policing and community safety partnerships

:23:23. > :23:26.are about ensuring we build better relationships between police

:23:26. > :23:30.officers and communityy part of Northern Ireland. Modern policing

:23:30. > :23:37.has a big part to play in delivering a shared future. As

:23:37. > :23:41.minister responsible for prisons, I devote time to reform of our system.

:23:41. > :23:48.Unlike the police service there were no big changes in years after

:23:48. > :23:52.the agreement. Indeed I was told by a former director minister that

:23:52. > :23:56.prison reform was put in the "Too difficult a"File and left for

:23:56. > :23:59.devolved minister. Well too difficult noise at term I

:24:00. > :24:04.understand or any alliance minister understands. Like much else in the

:24:04. > :24:14.feeltd of justice, rather than being too difficult, prison reform

:24:14. > :24:23.

:24:23. > :24:29.I can assure you we are tackling the reform programme and changing

:24:29. > :24:37.from a model dominated by custody to work where we are work working

:24:37. > :24:41.to make society safer. I ebbed the new skills centre in a prison with

:24:41. > :24:49.the new minister for employment and learning. His department recognises

:24:49. > :24:54.the role it can play in the are reform process. That is not just an

:24:54. > :25:04.Alliance minister delivering change, it is two Alliance Ministers

:25:04. > :25:09.delivering change together. We have reFered to one legacy issue faced

:25:09. > :25:13.by my department, the so - called peace walls. They are a blight on

:25:13. > :25:18.parts of Belfast and other towns. They're remindsers of the world we

:25:18. > :25:25.want the leave behinds. Early in my post I was asked to ex tent e the

:25:25. > :25:31.end a wall in Belfast, because of anti-social behaviour and acts of

:25:31. > :25:37.violence. I don't blame the civil servants. But I have spent a

:25:37. > :25:44.political lifetime seeking to end division. I opposed the last lig

:25:44. > :25:51.barrier built at Hazelwood school. Yes, the irony, at Hazelwood

:25:51. > :25:53.integrated primary school. So over a few meetings we worked out how we

:25:54. > :25:58.could support those working with young people and invest in people,

:25:58. > :26:03.not in barriers. We didn't extends the barrier there and that set the

:26:03. > :26:07.tone for different attitudes. So last summer when there was rioting

:26:07. > :26:16.in Belfast, we didn't extend barriers to make them higher or

:26:16. > :26:20.longer. In September, I had the privilege, I didn't just talk to

:26:20. > :26:25.officials, partners of the local community about opening up barriers.

:26:25. > :26:32.I went up theen trim Road and helped a Kos dozen children kaut

:26:32. > :26:38.ribbon and cut a gate in a bar jer that divided that park. The event

:26:38. > :26:43.was covered life on the BBC. How sad that opening a gate in a public

:26:43. > :26:46.park made live national news. But how positive that the local people

:26:46. > :26:49.from both sides of the barrier supported by ground work, the

:26:49. > :26:53.council, the community relations council, the police and the

:26:53. > :26:58.department of justice, wanted to open the barrier that had gaided

:26:58. > :27:03.them for so long. That morning one of those present spoke of a peace

:27:03. > :27:07.gate and he was right. Because walls are a symbol of hate. While

:27:07. > :27:14.opening up walls is a symbol of progress to the peaceful society we

:27:14. > :27:17.desire. As well as that park, we have seen progress at Newington

:27:18. > :27:23.Street and Northumberland Street. We are working with the

:27:23. > :27:26.international funds to help remove barriers. That is Alliance

:27:26. > :27:32.delivering, working in a partnership and leading change. Of

:27:32. > :27:39.course, one of the key ways in which the department works is we

:27:39. > :27:42.agreed a programme wfr -- before I became minister so a minister can

:27:42. > :27:46.implement Alliance policies wh what could be one of the most

:27:46. > :27:51.contentious departments. As minister of justice, I'm pleased to

:27:51. > :27:56.have close contacts with Alan Chatter, the Irish minister for

:27:56. > :28:00.justice. And with Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish cabinet Secretary, and

:28:00. > :28:05.it is another example of the constructive attitude that we take

:28:05. > :28:12.to the relationships in this region on this island and within these

:28:12. > :28:17.islands. But it is not just common- sense, it was a pleasure last night

:28:17. > :28:25.to strengthen strendsch friendsships with the --

:28:25. > :28:29.friendships with Vernon Coker, and Brian Hayes, the minister of state,

:28:29. > :28:39.addressing conference. Positive, friendly relationships of the kind

:28:39. > :28:43.

:28:43. > :28:50.which we're committed. -- committed to. Conference, we can take pride

:28:50. > :28:56.in what we have achieved. But what we have acheefrd simply marks out

:28:56. > :29:05.the early steps. Earlier on I spoke about Oliver Napier and we lost

:29:05. > :29:10.another stalwart with the passing of Addy More row. He was a deputy

:29:10. > :29:16.leader of the party for 16 years and a member of the 1982 ass my and

:29:16. > :29:20.served in so many role and was an inspiration. He was committed to

:29:20. > :29:25.peace and reconciliation in every aspect of his life. While he

:29:25. > :29:30.rejoiced in our success, I know he feared that as a community we

:29:30. > :29:35.haven't done enough to secure a peaceful and genuine shared future.

:29:35. > :29:45.He was certain that among all the parties, alliance alone was

:29:45. > :29:51.

:29:51. > :29:57.determined to transform this I have mentioned recent elections.

:29:57. > :30:04.The trend of results in recent years is clear. The UUP and the

:30:04. > :30:08.SDLP are mirror images of each other. Their support drains away.

:30:08. > :30:13.They cannot convey a sense of purpose to the electorate. They are

:30:13. > :30:19.casting about for relevance but not connecting. Sinn Fein and the DUP

:30:19. > :30:26.are also mirror images of each other. If the SDLP and the UUP are

:30:26. > :30:33.to be pitied, Sinn Fein and the DUP are to be feared. They have settled

:30:33. > :30:37.into a cosy calf up. The proposed destruction of the Department for

:30:37. > :30:46.Employment and learning, plans for a dual carriageway, major spending

:30:46. > :30:51.decisions taken on the basis of one for me and one for you. An agreed

:30:51. > :30:56.policy where they share out the spoils of victory over Unionist and

:30:56. > :31:00.nationalist rivals, entrenching their positions and the divisions

:31:00. > :31:05.their policies represent. So much for the two parties left behind in

:31:05. > :31:09.the past and the two parties operating the carve up in the

:31:09. > :31:12.present. Vets have a look at this party. We are on the rise and look

:31:12. > :31:18.to the future. We are connecting with people and we have shown we

:31:18. > :31:24.can deliver. In Westminster, the Assembly, council chambers Accra on

:31:24. > :31:29.the streets in the third and 4th biggest spending departments. Be

:31:29. > :31:33.third party in one half of the region was representation in five

:31:33. > :31:39.councils in the other half. Significant electoral campaigns in

:31:39. > :31:46.six more. We have not done that for many years. We are building on

:31:46. > :31:51.strong support and setting targets and meeting them. We're keeping

:31:51. > :31:55.promises. We're not resting on our laurels. We have made detailed and

:31:55. > :32:02.ambitious plans for the future. I make it clear appealed to those who

:32:02. > :32:06.vote for, are members of, and even those who are elected and run -- as

:32:06. > :32:15.representatives of other parties, do you want to be locked into the

:32:15. > :32:21.same of politics, what you want to see a step change? Is the Unionists

:32:21. > :32:26.and SDLP really going to deliver the future our country needs? If

:32:26. > :32:30.you think they are, carry on. If you want to see eight genuinely

:32:30. > :32:36.shared future, will you ever be able to achieve it in those

:32:36. > :32:43.parties? Do you want there to be a never-ending battle for Unionist or

:32:43. > :32:48.nationalist votes? To those people, I challenge you, take a look at

:32:48. > :32:52.this shared future checklist. If you agree with it, can sign up to

:32:52. > :33:02.it, this is the party you should be in if you want to transform society.

:33:02. > :33:10.

:33:10. > :33:13.In this party, there are people who consider themselves nationalist and

:33:13. > :33:18.people who consider themselves Unionist. People who consider

:33:18. > :33:21.themselves neither and people who consider themselves both. Those

:33:21. > :33:26.positions are all fine. In this party, although we may have

:33:26. > :33:30.different backgrounds, we may wish to hold on to them. We do not let

:33:30. > :33:36.them imprison us. If you want to build a united community, it really

:33:36. > :33:42.is time to move out and move on. Do not wait for the future to happen

:33:42. > :33:46.and come along at some point down the line. Join us, play your part,

:33:46. > :33:49.make it happen tomorrow and in the coming weeks and months. One thing

:33:50. > :33:53.that depresses me is, when I talked to people on the doorsteps and so

:33:53. > :33:57.they want things to change, they hope they do but they do not think

:33:57. > :34:01.it will happen in their lifetime. Maybe their children's children

:34:01. > :34:11.will not be educated together. Maybe barriers will be brought down

:34:11. > :34:11.

:34:11. > :34:16.by another generation yet unborn. I refuse to accept it. I joined

:34:16. > :34:21.Alliance. I volunteered with Alliance and work with them,

:34:21. > :34:30.represent them and now lead the party. I believed the politics of

:34:30. > :34:36.the country can change. We need to truly unites our community. Today I

:34:36. > :34:44.must mention another person in that context, when he lit a candle for

:34:44. > :34:48.this society rather than a curse the darkness. Ray Davies recognise

:34:49. > :34:53.the need to reconcile this community. The end of the last

:34:53. > :35:00.period of violence did not mean a shared society. He died earlier

:35:00. > :35:02.this week but left a powerful legacy. He remains a huge

:35:02. > :35:07.inspiration. There is much more to be done and ending violence, much

:35:07. > :35:14.more than encouraging better relationships between two distinct

:35:14. > :35:20.groups. We need to move to a spirit of sharing and will cohesion. In

:35:20. > :35:25.alliance, we follow in a noble tradition of dissenters. We

:35:25. > :35:33.dissented in 1970 when we establish the party and we do cent in 2012.

:35:33. > :35:37.We're not prepared to accept the status Clegg -- status quo. We'd

:35:37. > :35:45.descent from the notion that some of our people are born Unionists

:35:45. > :35:52.and some are born nationalists. And the at leat stultifying insistence

:35:52. > :35:56.that with change one side out breeds the other. -- utterly

:35:56. > :35:59.stultifying. I was asked in a meeting with the SDLP recently, if

:35:59. > :36:08.you do not believe we should stick with the Good Friday Agreement,

:36:08. > :36:14.what do you agree win -- in? We believe politics should be more

:36:14. > :36:18.accountable and politics - as a good politicians should not be

:36:18. > :36:22.labelled. All minorities are protected and cherished and, where

:36:22. > :36:29.the share power on the basis of what we agreed to deliver, rather

:36:29. > :36:34.than a simple car but. This drives me and the party - a radical change

:36:34. > :36:40.to the future of our community. Conference, two years ago, I

:36:40. > :36:43.challenged you to win a seat at Westminster and you delivered. Last

:36:43. > :36:48.year I challenge due to receive the second ministerial post and he

:36:48. > :36:53.delivered. I challenge you to win council seats in areas we were not

:36:53. > :36:57.represented and to you delivered. In the last few years, we have

:36:57. > :37:01.changed the electoral map. Five years ago there were four main

:37:01. > :37:10.parties and now there are five. Before the media overlooked us and

:37:10. > :37:14.now they look for us. Why we have achieved much, we will not rest. We

:37:14. > :37:19.will work relentlessly to achieve our targets. We have proven we will

:37:19. > :37:24.achieve and will settle for nothing less than continuing success. What

:37:25. > :37:30.is next? What is the next stage in his party's growth? I think in the

:37:30. > :37:36.words of Naomi Long, it is time to lift the ceiling of our electoral

:37:36. > :37:42.ambitions. In 2014, we will elect yet more Alliance councillors. We

:37:42. > :37:47.worked to ensure that? Another challenge, that our seat in

:37:47. > :37:56.Parliament is successfully defended in 2015, what ever the boundaries

:37:56. > :38:04.happen to beat. We owe it to Naomi Long to achieve that.

:38:05. > :38:09.APPLAUSE a third challenge to you, a third challenge that, at the time

:38:09. > :38:19.of the next assembly Macro elections, we will have moved his

:38:19. > :38:27.

:38:27. > :38:31.party up quids out of 5th place. Conference, the last few years have

:38:31. > :38:35.been critical for the growth of the party. The years ahead will be

:38:36. > :38:40.critical for the future of our community. We have been leading

:38:40. > :38:44.change and delivering change. Our community needs that change. The

:38:44. > :38:54.work of building the party and a genuinely shared future for all the

:38:54. > :38:54.

:38:54. > :39:04.people must advance. Let's all commit to that. Thank you very much.

:39:04. > :39:09.

:39:09. > :39:19.The party leader enjoying the praise of delegates and a standing

:39:19. > :39:19.

:39:19. > :39:25.ovation just at the end of his speech. Joined by Naomi Long, the

:39:25. > :39:32.new MP at Westminster. That was based -- ate trend to ramp the

:39:32. > :39:39.speech referring to that electoral success in the general election. --

:39:39. > :39:44.a trend throughout the speech. An interesting speech from David Ford.

:39:44. > :39:49.He wants to try to ensure that Naomi Long retains her seat. She

:39:50. > :39:54.did have an historic victory in east Belfast. We are having a

:39:54. > :39:59.Parliamentary Boundary Change which will make it much more of a South

:39:59. > :40:06.East Belfast seat. It is more uncharted territory. They will have

:40:06. > :40:11.to work hard to ensure she hangs on. The theme of that speech was, as

:40:11. > :40:16.David Ford said at the end, rather than holding on to what they have

:40:16. > :40:20.got, there is room for growth. He was looking towards a dream

:40:20. > :40:25.scenario whereby the SDLP and Ulster Unionists wither away. He

:40:25. > :40:29.was challenging their natural supporters, who believe in the

:40:29. > :40:34.traditional moderate politics, the shared future, to come towards the

:40:34. > :40:37.party has a better vehicle to achieve their aims were stuck next

:40:37. > :40:46.spring in the Stephen Farry. thank you for joining us. What did

:40:46. > :40:50.you make of that speech? Achieve their aims. You were seeing a party

:40:50. > :40:54.full of confidence and optimism. We have had a number of very good

:40:54. > :40:59.elections recently. We're setting the agenda of making further gains

:40:59. > :41:04.over the elections to come. We feel we're the only party in Northern

:41:04. > :41:08.Ireland that anyone - irrespective of background - can support. There

:41:08. > :41:12.is no ceiling on ambitions. We're there to build a shared future and

:41:12. > :41:17.to represent the entire community. What do you put that success down

:41:17. > :41:22.to? Are people voting for you because it is not about

:41:22. > :41:27.sectarianism? Is it about hard work on the streets? It is a combination

:41:27. > :41:30.of things. We are hard workers. People know the quality and

:41:30. > :41:35.consistent service that we bring. We have more and more people who

:41:35. > :41:40.know we have to move away from the politics, as defined by violence,

:41:40. > :41:45.and politics defined by vision. We have major economic opportunities.

:41:45. > :41:48.That involves turning this region into a modern society - an open

:41:48. > :41:54.economy - a shared future. Someone's background is of no

:41:54. > :41:57.relevance whatsoever. It is what potential they bring to a vibrant,

:41:57. > :42:02.polite society. That is where you see very young people rallying to

:42:02. > :42:06.the cause of the party. There are so many young faces, not just at

:42:06. > :42:15.the conference that a local government changes in Northern

:42:15. > :42:19.Ireland in the Assembly. I am in the middle of the age group.

:42:19. > :42:24.heard her mixture of sentence. Naomi Long talked about shameless

:42:24. > :42:30.tactics of the opponents in taking your department away. David Ford

:42:30. > :42:36.said you were the only minister who faces the top four being successful.

:42:36. > :42:39.They rarely has been no kickback from the party, no serious threat

:42:39. > :42:44.that you will walk out of the executive. Everyone needs to be

:42:44. > :42:51.particularly careful not to take the party for granted. They have

:42:51. > :42:55.done that and got away with it. is a live issue. Any decision to

:42:55. > :43:00.renominated will have to be taken by the party council. We will see,

:43:00. > :43:04.in the context of where we are at, what that will be. Do not take us

:43:04. > :43:10.for granted. Why had he not use this conference as an opportunity

:43:10. > :43:15.to debate on whether you should stay or go? There is a sense of

:43:15. > :43:20.anger at what has been done. It is not about me, by the way. It is

:43:20. > :43:27.about the mandate that thousands of people gave the Alliance Party at

:43:27. > :43:33.the election. They voted for an Alliance voice. That is where the

:43:33. > :43:40.anger lies was a bitter about the Department of Employment and

:43:40. > :43:45.learning. -- anger lies. It is about. They are talking about there

:43:45. > :43:51.being eight departments. Picking off one department, just because it

:43:51. > :43:56.is an Alliance department, it seems reckless. That is putting it mildly.

:43:56. > :43:59.We have an agenda based around skills. We need a sharp cutting

:44:00. > :44:05.edge to be offering we are giving local businesses and investors. If

:44:05. > :44:09.we plant that, it is a potential tragedy. We see that in terms of

:44:09. > :44:14.voices coming from the community. They are telling the Government to

:44:14. > :44:18.be very careful. Have you had the sense from people, I spoke to

:44:18. > :44:23.delegates last night and this morning, to get the sense that

:44:23. > :44:27.people want David Ford to walk away? I did not. People appreciate

:44:27. > :44:32.we have a role to play in government. We do not want to walk

:44:32. > :44:36.away. A very clear messages about as delivering - whether at

:44:36. > :44:40.Westminster or on the floor of the assembly - in terms of the two

:44:40. > :44:49.departments we halt. They appreciate the a-pawn -- the

:44:49. > :44:54.importance of justice. They need to in that that role. What we are

:44:54. > :44:59.asking for is a proper process, where we discuss the future of the

:44:59. > :45:08.executive. There is a whole host of issues we have to consider. Let's

:45:08. > :45:18.have a proper, rational debate and reduce the department's. Is that

:45:18. > :45:23.

:45:23. > :45:27.We have a voice and... The decision you want is being ignored. We have

:45:28. > :45:30.had a broad announcement made by the First Minister and deputy First

:45:30. > :45:35.Minister, they're doing a consultation. It is my

:45:35. > :45:42.understanding that the mess dge from that is clear and that they

:45:42. > :45:47.want the decision taking on sound policy and economics. If Del is

:45:47. > :45:52.going, they would want to see a department of the economy. What

:45:52. > :45:57.they don't want a political carve up to undermine the work that is

:45:57. > :46:01.happening. If the Alliance is reduced to a one department party,

:46:01. > :46:06.shouldn't you follow the example of the SDLP and the unionists, where

:46:06. > :46:12.the leader does not consider the minister. We have got ourselves in

:46:12. > :46:18.a trap. It is the norm in every other coalition that leaders if

:46:18. > :46:27.they want to take places in governments. One or two parties

:46:27. > :46:32.have got themselves in some trap around this. The -- that would be

:46:32. > :46:38.the right thing to do. You would be happy for him to continue in port

:46:38. > :46:42.jobs. Yes and the party are happy with the job David is doing.

:46:42. > :46:46.Leading justice is a challenging post and people appreciate how

:46:46. > :46:50.difficult it is, with the sensitivities around the post. He

:46:50. > :46:54.has shown that he is capable of delivering and handling sensitive

:46:54. > :46:59.issues. It is important that that, that people recognise what he is

:46:59. > :47:05.doing and also leading the party. Let's look at the specifics in your

:47:05. > :47:11.speech, you talk about the cost of division, but yet the Alliance

:47:11. > :47:17.Party supporting integrated education, wis which is an -- which

:47:17. > :47:25.is an expensive third sector. Will you move away and go with shared

:47:25. > :47:31.education? We see a spectrum of models of shared education. All fit

:47:31. > :47:35.in. We have too many schools. So too much money is invested in

:47:35. > :47:41.school buildings, rather than the interests of people and of proper

:47:41. > :47:47.teaching. So sharing means a consldaigs of what we have and the

:47:47. > :47:52.apex of that range of models. see integrated schools being kept

:47:52. > :47:57.open at the expense of mainstream or Catholic schools? You see

:47:57. > :48:01.pressure for this, often you see a village with a state school and a

:48:02. > :48:06.Catholic school. There is pressure there. It make sense for both

:48:06. > :48:11.schools to come together and have an integrated school, rather than

:48:11. > :48:18.busing students on a central basis to different ys. There is

:48:18. > :48:23.opposition to that, a lot of this is pie in the sky, a lot of people

:48:23. > :48:27.are opposed to this and want to sends their child to a state or

:48:27. > :48:32.Catholic school. Vested interests will always kick nfplts but if you

:48:32. > :48:37.look at the opinion polls, they have shown around two thirds of

:48:37. > :48:40.parents want to have the option of integrated schools. It is the only

:48:40. > :48:46.sector where schools are oversubscribed. There is a desire

:48:46. > :48:50.for that modsle. We only have 6% of children at integrated schools.

:48:50. > :48:56.There is massive potential for development of the area and I

:48:56. > :49:02.stress this is not just about the best outcome for education, but the

:49:02. > :49:06.most financially viable solution. What about the integration and the

:49:07. > :49:13.merging of the teaching training. That is something you wish that you

:49:13. > :49:18.could have got on top of and taken through in your tenure? I'm still

:49:18. > :49:22.in post and we have a process under way and I'm adopted a review of the

:49:22. > :49:27.financial modsle of training college and we will have

:49:27. > :49:33.discussions about models of sharing. It is a difficult issue with a lot

:49:33. > :49:37.of passions around the table. But we have too many institutions in

:49:37. > :49:42.Northern Ireland, recruiting too many teach efrs and we have to have

:49:42. > :49:47.a system that is not based on protectsing the status quo. Change

:49:47. > :49:53.has to happen. The current model is not sustainable. And let's hammer

:49:53. > :50:00.out the best way forwards that. Will have to be a model of sharing.

:50:00. > :50:04.Wave personal party view around an integrated model, but I want to

:50:04. > :50:08.hear the views of other others. There was talk of May being the

:50:08. > :50:13.time that the justice compromise came to an ends and then this

:50:13. > :50:19.solution came up from the DUP and Sinn Fein in terms of doing awhich

:50:19. > :50:25.with your D when do you expect that to be put into effect? They're

:50:25. > :50:31.talking about this and May has gone as a dedsline. The dedsline has

:50:31. > :50:37.taken place, so that ledline is out of way. There is no clarity as to

:50:37. > :50:45.when things are going to happen. But it is important that I as

:50:45. > :50:50.minister and my department remain focused on the job in hand. I have

:50:51. > :50:56.an ambitious agenda of work and we have a lot of achievements. I am

:50:56. > :51:01.pressing on regardless of the speculation. Now let's pause and we

:51:01. > :51:05.got a glimpse of the party's sole MP, let's hear some of that teach e

:51:05. > :51:13.speech where she said it was time for the Secretary of State to start

:51:13. > :51:17.dealing with issues of the past. has the potential to allow us to

:51:17. > :51:23.explore our past through education and discussion, helping us to learn

:51:23. > :51:28.from our past and to how we can create stronger relationships. By

:51:28. > :51:33.contrast, if handled poorly, it has the potential to be a highly

:51:33. > :51:38.charged periods. Marked by deepening division within society.

:51:39. > :51:43.Reinforcing old divisions, rather than focusing on future progress.

:51:43. > :51:48.By recognising respectfully our shared and difficult history, but

:51:48. > :51:55.refusing to be captives to it. We can use this time as a water shed

:51:55. > :51:59.between our divided past and our future. The east/west dimension was

:51:59. > :52:03.important and it remains important, if we're successfully to explore

:52:03. > :52:08.and commemorate that period in the years ahead and develop as a

:52:08. > :52:12.country. Following that debate, and the discussions which pro followed

:52:13. > :52:16.it. The Taoiseach when visitsing Westminster took time with the

:52:17. > :52:23.Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the local MPs to visits

:52:23. > :52:31.an exhibition on the third home rule bill in Westminster. All of us

:52:31. > :52:37.present heard of the work between the Irish and British Governments

:52:37. > :52:41.is ongoing. But also our more recent past has been addressing

:52:41. > :52:47.with government in Westminster, seeking to address the past and its

:52:47. > :52:55.legacy in a manner that can deliver a more reconciled future. The talks

:52:55. > :53:01.in which the Secretary of State has been engaged are as a result of our

:53:01. > :53:05.pressure. However there would appear to be little enthuse ya. --

:53:05. > :53:11.enthusiasm on his part for further edge gaugement. He is corrects,

:53:12. > :53:17.there is a lack of consensus among local parties. However this can be

:53:17. > :53:21.no excuse for lack of effort to achieve consensus. Had lack of

:53:21. > :53:26.atkpreement prevent us engage before we would never have achieved

:53:26. > :53:31.any political progress. I would renew what is not just my call, but

:53:31. > :53:35.through an Alliance motion, also the call of the Assembly to the

:53:35. > :53:42.Secretary of State to reckon seen all-party talks to seek a

:53:42. > :53:46.comprehensive way forward. I also had the opportunity to raise the

:53:46. > :53:51.issue of transparency in party political funding in Northern

:53:51. > :53:57.Ireland with the Prime Minister. I think he was just relieved I didn't

:53:57. > :54:00.ask about dinners. Last year, I pressed him to remove the exemption

:54:00. > :54:06.which means that while local parties have to make the same

:54:06. > :54:12.financial returns to the Electoral Commission, the names of donors who

:54:12. > :54:15.gave over �7,500 remain unpublished in Northern Ireland. I understand

:54:15. > :54:21.why this may have been necessary in the past. But the security

:54:21. > :54:25.situation has improved and while risk can never been eliminated it

:54:25. > :54:29.should not outweigh the right of the public to scrutinise the

:54:29. > :54:33.finances of local party and see who their donors are and to judge

:54:34. > :54:38.whether parties are influenced by those donations. It is not credible

:54:38. > :54:44.for local parties on one hands to argue that Northern Ireland is a

:54:44. > :54:48.safe and attractive destiny for tourism, while on the other arguing

:54:48. > :54:55.the security situation sois bad that it prevents democratic

:54:55. > :54:58.scrutiny. That was the east Belfast MP. Let's hear from one of the east

:54:58. > :55:05.Belfast MLAs. Are you satisfied with thousand conference has gone?

:55:05. > :55:09.I think it is one of our biggest conferences. -- how the conference

:55:09. > :55:16.has gone? You got a name check in the speech, but you have a

:55:16. > :55:22.difficult job, you're on the group that will look at the CSI strategy

:55:22. > :55:27.and how we go foe waerd cross communities. -- fordz wards. It is

:55:28. > :55:32.a crucial Strath strategy and we need to tackle division and get

:55:32. > :55:39.action on education, housing and cultural expression such as flags

:55:39. > :55:44.and emblems. It is an important working group. We want a robust

:55:44. > :55:48.strategy. When you took the justice brief, that is one of the condition,

:55:48. > :55:53.you got a draft paper that was lambasteed as lacking substancement.

:55:53. > :55:57.Are you going to set this as a condition for keep on with justice

:55:57. > :56:03.and that there should be an agreement of a cohesion and sharing

:56:03. > :56:07.strategy that makes a difference? We're committed to playing a

:56:07. > :56:12.constructive role and we won't agree a strategy that doesn't set

:56:12. > :56:15.out targets for change. When you link the two, it is either all or

:56:15. > :56:21.not guilty. You have power you can use. We are committeded to playing

:56:21. > :56:29.a constructive role and to find a solution within the group. Do you

:56:29. > :56:35.have an a notion when you will come up with? We have made progress.

:56:35. > :56:41.This a date for it? Not at the moment, no. When its came to the

:56:41. > :56:45.possibility of flying the flag at Parliament buildings, there was

:56:45. > :56:51.ambiguity could be read into your stance. Where do you stands? Would

:56:52. > :56:56.you support the flying of the flag? I'm not sure that is the most

:56:57. > :57:02.pressing issue for people. They're worrying about foods on the table

:57:02. > :57:08.and employment. Our position is to support the current state of

:57:09. > :57:14.affairs. But our representative is open to mature discussion to ensure

:57:14. > :57:18.the Assembly build rgs as inclusive as possible. That wouldn't

:57:18. > :57:23.necessarily flying the flag. meeting is scheduled to discuss

:57:23. > :57:27.that. What about the aspect of edge xaigs. I spoke to the Department of

:57:27. > :57:32.Employment and learning minister and we asked questions about

:57:32. > :57:37.education. It is difficult when on the one hand you have funding going

:57:37. > :57:42.to a third secondor, but you say we can't afford the two sectors we

:57:42. > :57:47.have. How do you square that circle? Our ideal scenario, we

:57:47. > :57:50.would have as much integgraited education as possible, but we want

:57:50. > :57:54.to see a move to more shared education solutions. We have

:57:54. > :58:00.examples of that across Northern Ireland. In particular the shared

:58:00. > :58:05.education programme is delivering joined up education. Is that not a

:58:05. > :58:09.day-to-day thing, you go to one school once in a term. It is not

:58:09. > :58:13.real change? That particular programme is making maneingful

:58:13. > :58:20.change, bringing schools together. - emeaningful. We can't settle for

:58:20. > :58:24.one day here and one there, we need real shared education and an

:58:24. > :58:31.integrated system. In term of east Belfast, does the boundary change

:58:31. > :58:36.make it harder or easier for you to hold that seat? We will fight that

:58:36. > :58:43.seat on our record on the ground, regardless of what boundary it is.