28/02/2013 The View

On The View tonight: instalment ready for the unofficial

opposition? One former minister thinks so. I would personally

believe the best thing faster do would be to pull out and be free to

be a real opposition. And the professors are with us this

evening. And you can, of course, follow the

Voters will go to the polls to elect a new MP. They have four

candidates to choose from. With the seven days to go, it seemed like

the right time to get an insight into the campaign by inviting them

ought to take part in a pre- election debate. The production

team did invite all four candidates in. They thought they were making

good progress. By the end of yesterday, they had agreement from

three of the candidates. We were still waiting to hear from the

Unionist unity candidate. Late this morning, Nigel and his camp got in

touch and declined the invitation. They said, it is a short campaign.

Nigel is concentrating his efforts on canvassing in the constituency.

They decided not to bring him in. This triggered a response because

we had to inform the other parties, and Sinn Fein said they had agreed

to a debate which included four candidates. If it didn't, they

would pull their us out. Are you surprised that Nigel did not take

the opportunity to make his case on TV? Were on the face of it, it

looks surprising. When it came up that they had selected this unity

candidate, it caused the resignation of two asked the

Unionist MLAs. When he handed in his nomination papers, one might

have expected a vigorous campaign. That said, I have been hearing from

journalists and colleagues that they found him quite allusive, he

has been out canvassing, but people have found hard to pin him down.

May be, within that context, it is not so surprising. What of the

others? You sometimes get this with election debates. If someone thinks

they are the frontrunner, they wonder whether they need to get

into a debate with the other candidates. Have they got

potentially more to lose than when? In may be that that was the kind of

calculation they were making, although, Sinn Fein have said to

ask that they had agreed only all four should be there.

candidates have chosen not to take part in tonight's discussion. Let

us talk about two important issue in this campaign with the two

candidates to are with us. You have been out and about, campaigning on

the streets. The economy, I imagine, is uppermost in people's minds. All

can you do to improve people's economic circumstances? I find it

truly bizarre that two candidates, aspiring to run for a Westminster

election, just don't show up here. I have never heard of abstention is

campaigns and! People are saying to me, they find it very strange that

candidates are shirking their responsibilities to put their views

and policies before the electorate. In the meantime, they would say

that they are out campaigning, tried to get as many votes as they

can. Let us talk about what people are discussing when you knock doors.

Is that the economy? Absolutely. I have been canvassing for eight

hours today. Again, the issues coming back at the doors are the

future, economy, jobs, particularly for young people, and how

politicians can focus their efforts on those priorities. Have you got a

real, practical examples of what you think you can deliver for

people in Mid Ulster that can make a difference, in very austere

times? Absolutely. What people are saying is that in terms of the

economy, small businesses and businesses in general are saying,

what about corporation tax? Westminster is the place where

corporation can be raised. They also saying to us, people are

concerned about the averages of the welfare reform, and the grim tax

brought in, changes to housing benefit. We have been campaigning

hard on those issues. Likewise, the rural community are concerned about

a Euro-sceptic plot ways, and single farm payments would all go.

You are the Alliance candidate. What a people saying to you about

the economy? Again, before I start, but I also find this situation

rather unusual. There are five main parties in Northern Ireland, and

they are only two are represented here tonight. That is an unusual

situation. Democracy is all about given the electric a choice, and

that has been narrowed dramatically. -- the electorate. What is your

view on economic matters, when you talk to people who will be your

constituents if you win? Were I am picking up a many worries. People

are worried about how they will fill the tank in these freezing

February nights, in the long term, how they will find jobs for their

children. I met a lady who was devastated that five of her

children have had to lipoma, are living abroad, and she is wondering

if she will meet them again. -- have had to leave home. You are

running for a Westminster seat. If you were to get elected, you would

be a backbench MP with very little authority or power, as far as those

local issues in Mid-Ulster are concerned. A in some respects. But

big decisions are made in Westminster. Last night, there was

a major debate on bedroom tax. MPs were grilling ministers on

individual issues. Let us talk about a second issue tonight. A

shared future. We have had disharmony on the streets of

Northern Ireland. How would you promote a sense of a shared future?

People are concerned about the impact on the Flat dispute on the

local economy. -- flag. To offer young people a job is a priority.

People want to see a stable future, a future where the accommodation of

differences is the key buzz word and put into practice. Bringing

respect and building trust will be the linchpin and a cornerstone of

any future society for us all. That society which brings this about,

attracting a thriving economy. party has not been a bystander on

this issue. Some would say it played a pivotal role in what

happened in flying the Union flag. We took a decision. We did nothing

different to what the other parties agreed to at Stormont. That is what

so -- that is what is so bizarre about it. The very parties that

were protesting actually agreed to it in Stormont. Or would you do to

promote a better sense of a shared future in Mid-Ulster? What I'm

hearing on the doorstep is that although it seems to be down to an

orange-green struggle, that is not really what influences people. They

do like the method of a shared future, they see there will be

greater stability. That is where the future lies, especially for the

young people who don't have the same background. How big a

challenge is that for Mid-Ulster? A big struggle. But it is not

impossible. Reliance standpoint and publicity has been very clear. --

the alliance. A shared future, where we tried to meet each other's

aspirations, is there a way forward. A to both of you, this is a big ask

for you, in terms of this campaign. Let us take a look at how things

panned out in 2010. Your party got 14%, Sinn Fein got 52%. It is an

uphill struggle. Do you accept that? Those are the politics of the

past. What we are doing is looking to the future. We want to build a

society with stability, the future economy and future jobs for our

young people. The SDLP is looking ahead to a brighter future. Finally,

can you cast itself as anything other than an Ulster man in this

race, because it was 1% to got last and? Is it is an uphill struggle,

but I will not cast myself as an Ulster man. Alliance is the cross-

community Party of Northern Ireland, Under BBC guidelines, Mark

Devenport, we are obliged to represent the views of the other

party. Francie Molloy has expressed his concern about the economic

situation, about scores of families he says he knows off where people

have had to leave Mid-Ulster. He is concerned about the loss of skills.

One of the ideas he suggests to address these problems is to get

support for farmers, and Engineering Training Centre. He

says he will campaign to bring jobs and investment, he will lobby for

farmers, and a large part of his literature is about the fact that

he won't be abstention list. He will be in Westminster when

important votes are taking place. And what about the views of a

shared future? Certainly flags feature in both lots of literature.

Francie Molloy told the News Letter that he wants to allay their fears

and build reconciliation. He defended the decision taken by

Belfast City Council, the two was a democratic decision and people

should respect that. Nigel Lutton said that elections could have

consequences within well -- Belfast, and one of the consequences was the

removal of the Union flag. But he does say that he will support

people regardless of their background if he emerges from the

Victor -- from the selection as the victor. And polling day is next

Thursday, so potentially, we have an interesting week ahead. Could be.

You never know. Maybe somebody else will be able to have captured the

attention. Maybe somebody will be able to bring all of the candidates

together. Our correspondents will be following them closely. They

absolutely world. I should just point out that you can find the

full details of the four candidates running in Mid-Ulster on our

Still to come on The View: Could Basil McCrea's as yet unnamed

Unionist Party learned from down The Former SDLP Minister Brid

Rogers has told this programme that her party should leave the

Executive because it is not doing enough to bring people together.

She says the SDLP should become part of the Opposition. Her

comments come as a Westminster committee has begun examining how

an official opposition could work here. Here's our political reporter

Stephen Walker. THE SPEAKER: Order! Border! Has he

got a clue what he would do? Speaker, he has had... The clue is

in the title - Prime Minister's Questions. It is a weekly affair,

often generating more heat than light, but at least Prime

Minister's questions give the voters an indication of what

Parliamentary politics is like. To Government defends its position was

the abolition seeks to challenge it. The dividing lines are clear.

Darren essentially two narratives - one from the Government and one

from the opposition. So is it time the Stormont following suit?

This week, the Northern Ireland affairs committee came to Stormont

to examine that very issue of opposition. What we have here is a

blot on the democratic landscape. You expect in North Korea but not

in Northern Ireland that he would be banned from having an opposition,

and it is shameful. The creation of an official opposition of Stormont

would require legislation. The Government in London a examining

the political structures here, but say the idea of an opposition isn't

on the agenda because there is no political consensus. A position

that cut little ice with campaigners for change. Opposition

isn't about wrecking Stormont. It is about having a viable, credible

alternative structure that holds the Government to account. The UUP

and the SDLP insists that they can hold the two parties to account by

staying within the Executive. As Agriculture Minister breed Rogers

sat round the Executive table, contrary to party policy, she

thinks the SDLP's sole Minister should leave the Executive. He is

doing a good job, but I think the SDLP should think about pulling out

of the Executive, particularly as the Executive has not moved on

integration at all. They have neither a policy Nora strategy.

you think the SDLP should come out? I do, because they are not

fulfilling the function they were meant to fulfil, which was to bring

the people of Northern Ireland together to have a policy for that

and a strategy for that, and they have neither. And I think for one

estimate to turn that around is simply impossible. So you think the

party should pull out? A think we would be better to be in real

opposition. I don't think it would be an official opposition, but it

would give us the freedom to become in a sense a real opposition.

First Minister, Peter Robinson, favours the creation of an

opposition, but he says there is already an unofficial one in place.

We have run a very strong opposition. We have a well-informed

opposition. The two smaller parties have tended to act as if they were

an opposition, so we have Ministers in opposition as part of our system.

The DUP and the UUP favour an opposition, as do the Alliance

Party. Sinn Fein have concerns, and insist that the principles of the

Good Friday Agreement are protected. That could greater scrutiny be

achieved without diluting the concept of power sharing? You can

look at the issue of opposition and Stormont in a way that doesn't

necessarily mean you have to up start looking at either Good Friday

Agreement or the St Andrews Agreement. So rather than adopting

the full Westminster model of opposition, could other practices

that I used in London be implemented at Stormont? In the

Public Accounts Committee, the chair of that committee is always

taken up by the Leader of the Opposition, the main opposition

party. That might be one thing to look at, to look at the way that

the chairs of the difference select committees are allocated. But one

thing to do might be to think about opposition in that broader sense,

and to use a committee like the public accounts committee to allow

one of those smaller parties to take on an influential role.

change is unlikely to satisfy those calling for the creation of four

opposition. Basil McCrea and John McCallister have made that a

central piece of their new party, and there is talk of a Private

Member's Bill. But change can only come if there is a consensus, and

at Stormont, that is in short supply.

Stephen Walker supporting -- reporting. Deidre Heenan and Rick

Welford are here to talk about this. Rick, is the proposal a runner?

is. She is one of a growing chorus of voices calling for an opposition.

The committee is looking at the provision of an official opposition

as one of a number of potential reforms. It is easy enough to say,

go into opposition, but there is no formal provision for it. They would

need speaking rights. They would need committee places. They would

need, among other things, the capacity to bring about a vote of

no confidence in the actual Executive. There isn't provision

for any of those things. Nor indeed for supply days when opposition

parties can determine the topic for debate. So if you're going to be

part of the chorus who want the opposition, you need to look at

what we need to provide, and provide some finance to fund an

official opposition, which might not go down well with the Electra -

- electorate. His is an argument worth making? I take Rick's., but

use 15 years since the Good Friday Agreement. -- I take Rick's point.

Trying to get policy through now seems to be impossible, and we have

a bizarre situation where you have Ministers and government putting

forward one idea and then the next day criticising at their colleagues

who are also in government. It seems strange that they are leaning

between two policy ideas. As think it is important that we say, we

have and in again, out again government, and they think it is

important to say, here is the Government, here is the opposition,

and it could be a sign of political maturity to say, the Friday

Agreement work, or is it time to move on? Rick, let's talk about

Mid-Ulster. A week to polling. We had a television debate tonight.

Tea Party candidates here, two candidates missing. Half the

debate! Were you surprised that the two parties who didn't come were

missing? It is extraordinary, not least because in this circumstance

you have a candidate in the shape of Nigel Lutton who is a unionist

unity candidate, and it is presented as being such a signal

moment in the development of unity, that people would actually sees the

opportunity to make that pitch for Unionist unity, particularly given

the nature of one of his key opponents, the other no show

tonight, Francie Molloy. You seeking here, you seek him there.

They are like the Pimpernel. Thank you, let's move on to another

subject. Earlier this week, Basil McCrea and John McCallister scotch

any speculation that they would join another existing party by

announcing plans to form their own. The pair said they new party will

be confident, progressive and pro- union. One thing they don't have,

though, is a name. We went out onto the streets to ask if the name it

It is very hard to make that call until you know what the name is. I

appreciate the ambitions of the party, and they think they will

have a wide appeal. But time will tell in terms of what Nene come up

with. There is only one name her that they want to come up with.

you have the right personalities, you would go to them. I don't think

it would matter what banner they go under. It would have to be

something significant, rather than just the same old. You would get

mixed up. You really do, there is an awful lot of them. The name

would and and her -- wouldn't entice me. It is the politicians to

have to change. And Australia, you have a family party at the sex

party. And yes, before you ask, it does exist, and it got 8% in the

state election in Victoria last year, although it might be a while

before the arrears a similar party here, and less Basil and John

gopher that name! -- and Les Basil We took a poll here, and

suggestions were at the Labour Deans,. The debate has kept us all

glued to the television, and if you don't mind me saying the fact that

Lord Rennard appears to have been somewhat liberal with his

intentions. That is the allegation. He denies it. But it has very

quickly become a story about Nick Clegg's leadership or lack of it,

and it has been interesting how much the spotlight has turned to

him, and his female party colleagues have not, to support him,

so that says a lot. It right, your story of the week? The riff-raff

man, Boris Johnson, and his attempt to speak to the Greater London

Assembly. Do we have a Kip? Wishes to be exchanging question. Classic

Boris. Are you saying they haven't the guts to put questions to me it?

Great, supine critter plasmid invertebrate jellies. Great quote.

You don't hear anything like that up at Stormont. We are more

monosyllabic here. He is a wordsmith. But he did meet his

comeuppance that day, because he was in effect voted off the

platform by a coalition of Liberal Democrats, Labour and green

candidates representing the GLA. Twit of the week? Chris Bryant. Did

I miss something? Wasn't the whole point off Osborne's economics to

point off Osborne's economics to keep the triple-A rating? The Tory

MEP on the Italian election - a surprising number of Italians have

voted for a comedian. The comedian to whom it he is furring is