0:00:17 > 0:00:20Hello and welcome to The Conference.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Whether you're watching on BBC Two Northern Ireland
0:00:23 > 0:00:25or on the Parliament Channel, we're very pleased you
0:00:25 > 0:00:28could join us today.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Hundreds of DUP delegates have once again descended on the La Mon Hotel
0:00:32 > 0:00:34just outside Belfast and it seems this year they've been joined
0:00:34 > 0:00:37by countless journalists as press interest in the party has risen
0:00:37 > 0:00:39after its confidence-and-supply deal with the Tories.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Right now the room is bracing itself for the arrival
0:00:42 > 0:00:44of the party leader, Arlene Foster, who has had
0:00:44 > 0:00:46quite a year at the helm.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50She will be closing the conference with her speech shortly which we'll
0:00:50 > 0:00:53bring you live and in full.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Mrs Foster's deputy, Nigel Dodds, has already addressed the party
0:00:55 > 0:00:58faithful and we'll hear a little of what he had to say
0:00:58 > 0:00:59later in the programme.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01I'll also be talking to our Political Editor,
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Mark Devenport, who is there for us.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06But first I'm joined in the studio by Professor Rick Wilford
0:01:06 > 0:01:09from Queen's University.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Rick, it's been a roller-coaster year for Arlene Foster.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15What's the challenge facing her today?
0:01:15 > 0:01:20Massive challenge. A year ago we had devolution, now we don't. This is a
0:01:20 > 0:01:24party that over the years has moved from the wings to centre stage. So I
0:01:24 > 0:01:31think she has got to pitch her speech not just at a par rockical or
0:01:31 > 0:01:34local level, but address the national platform because the party
0:01:34 > 0:01:38is in a strategic position at Westminster. So we don't want too
0:01:38 > 0:01:42much introversion, she has been rather extrovert as well in looking
0:01:42 > 0:01:46at what she thinks the DUP maybe able to do, not just for Northern
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Ireland, but also as it were for the wider United Kingdom.She has got a
0:01:49 > 0:01:54lot of issues, I suppose, she will want to touch on in the speech, not
0:01:54 > 0:01:57least the attempts to breathe new life into devolution at Stormont and
0:01:57 > 0:02:01that doesn't seem to be going very well at the moment. She has the
0:02:01 > 0:02:04challenge of Brexit. She has got the continuing relationship with the
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Conservative Party in Westminster and the difficult relationship
0:02:07 > 0:02:10obviously with both Sinn Fein and the Republic of Ireland government?
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Indeed. On the latter, it became in relation to the Irish Government,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17that relationship has become, I think, slightly more prickly over
0:02:17 > 0:02:21the last few days and of course, we don't yet know, we won't know until
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Tuesday whether there is going to be a general election in the south and
0:02:25 > 0:02:30that could signal a significant change if and when that does happen.
0:02:30 > 0:02:38I suspect myself that actually they might avoid an election before the
0:02:38 > 0:02:43Christmas. She has a lot of balls to juggle. Theresa May, earlier in the
0:02:43 > 0:02:46week, talked about encouraging Sinn Fein and the DUP to rejoin talks
0:02:46 > 0:02:51next week. Now, we've heard nothing concrete about that. Maybe she will
0:02:51 > 0:02:54have something to say during the course of heifer speech this
0:02:54 > 0:02:57afternoon so we will get some indication of whether there is some
0:02:57 > 0:03:02fresh life as it were being breathed into what to date has been faltering
0:03:02 > 0:03:05talks. Let's bring in our political editor,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Mark Devenport who is at the conference venue. Mark, a big day, a
0:03:09 > 0:03:14big challenge?Yes, it has been a topsy-turvy year for Arlene Foster.
0:03:14 > 0:03:20She will no doubt be accentuating the good and playing down the bad.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24They had a difficult Assembly election in March when unionism lost
0:03:24 > 0:03:27its majority at Stormont. They had a better time in June when they got
0:03:27 > 0:03:30the extraordinary position holding the balance of power at Westminster.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35I think whilst she will say, look, it is good to have this influence
0:03:35 > 0:03:40over issues like Brexit, it is good to have influence over the
0:03:40 > 0:03:45Conservatives, the DUP are still a part of devolution and they believe
0:03:45 > 0:03:48they can't complete their job unless they get Stormont back up and
0:03:48 > 0:03:52running.Do you think that we'll hear particular insights from Arlene
0:03:52 > 0:03:57Foster today on issues like the Brexit challenge, like the attempts
0:03:57 > 0:04:01to restore devolution at Stormont? Do you think we will get specifics?
0:04:01 > 0:04:04Well, I'm not sure that it will be that specific. She won't be giving
0:04:04 > 0:04:11too much away. We know and I expect her to say that the con stintant DUP
0:04:11 > 0:04:14line has been there should be no internal borders within the UK when
0:04:14 > 0:04:19it comes to Brexit. That's been praeted already by the Dodds, Diane,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22the MEP and Nigel the deputy leader and I expect Arlene Foster to follow
0:04:22 > 0:04:26that line as well. In relation to the talks, I think, she will be
0:04:26 > 0:04:31saying that she wants to get Stormont back up and running as I
0:04:31 > 0:04:35say, and maybe going into a little bit more detail about the Irish
0:04:35 > 0:04:38language, without completely giving away what kind of compromise
0:04:38 > 0:04:42proposals they have been working on with Sinn Fein to allow for
0:04:42 > 0:04:45legislation that would cover the Irish language.Mark, thank you very
0:04:45 > 0:04:49much indeed. Arlene Foster has appeared on stage. Just a moment
0:04:49 > 0:04:52earlier perhaps than we had expected. She takes the applause of
0:04:52 > 0:04:56party delegates. She is about to give a critical speech from her
0:04:56 > 0:05:00prospective as leader of the party. Lots of challenges in her in-tray.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03You can see the warmth of the welcome. No great surprise that the
0:05:03 > 0:05:11party faithful are there and waving lots of Union Flags and Ulster
0:05:11 > 0:05:15flags, Northern Ireland flags, and very haven't seen her up to now. A
0:05:15 > 0:05:26curtsy from Arlene Foster. Anyway, let's hear what she has to say.
0:05:26 > 0:05:35APPLAUSE
0:05:41 > 0:05:53Thank you. Thank you, colleagues. Thank you.
0:05:53 > 0:06:02APPLAUSE Mr Chairman, colleagues, members, my
0:06:02 > 0:06:06friends, thank you, thank you so much for that warm welcome. I am
0:06:06 > 0:06:10deeply honoured to stand before you today as the leader of this great
0:06:10 > 0:06:19party. APPLAUSE
0:06:19 > 0:06:24A party that leads unionism, a party that is the voice of Northern
0:06:24 > 0:06:29Ireland and a party that is proudly at the centre of the politics of our
0:06:29 > 0:06:37United Kingdom. I counted an honour to be your leader as we embark on a
0:06:37 > 0:06:42new phase of the history of our party. The conference takes place
0:06:42 > 0:06:44against the backdrop in an unprecedented interest in the
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Democratic Unionist Party from across the United Kingdom and I want
0:06:47 > 0:06:50to welcome and thank our many friends and allies who have joined
0:06:50 > 0:06:55with us during our weekend events, but most of all, I want to express
0:06:55 > 0:06:59my deep appreciation to you, our members, for your support over the
0:06:59 > 0:07:04last 12 months. Because the Democratic Unionist
0:07:04 > 0:07:11Party is not like other political parties. What marks us out is the
0:07:11 > 0:07:15dedication, the loyalty, and faithfulness of you, our members.
0:07:15 > 0:07:21So, today, from the bottom of my heart, I say thank you. If the last
0:07:21 > 0:07:26year has proved anything, it is that we live in an uncertain world. We've
0:07:26 > 0:07:31been through a lot together over this past 12 months. When last, we
0:07:31 > 0:07:36gathered, no one could have fore seen in four months' time we would
0:07:36 > 0:07:41be fighting an Assembly election and it was a tough election. We lost
0:07:41 > 0:07:47good and faithful public servants and I want to pay tribute to and say
0:07:47 > 0:07:56thank you to Maurice, Nelson, Brenda, Adrian and Philip.
0:07:56 > 0:08:07APPLAUSE Now, that election was a wake-up
0:08:07 > 0:08:13call for unionists. We warned that republicans were cynically seeking
0:08:13 > 0:08:16to exploit the election as an opportunity to close the gap on
0:08:16 > 0:08:21unionism. Many didn't believe our warnings. They said we were
0:08:21 > 0:08:28scaremongering. However, Sinn Fein came within one seat and 1200 votes
0:08:28 > 0:08:32of becoming Northern Ireland's largest party. Now, thankfully the
0:08:32 > 0:08:36unionist electorate didn't have to wait years for an opportunity to
0:08:36 > 0:08:41register support for our precious union. The snap general election
0:08:41 > 0:08:46provided such a platform within just three months. And I want to thank
0:08:46 > 0:08:51the nearly 300,000 people who rallied to our banner in June.
0:08:51 > 0:09:00APPLAUSE
0:09:02 > 0:09:07Not only did their votes help us to emphatically return all of our
0:09:07 > 0:09:11existing members of Parliament, they also won back South Antrim.
0:09:11 > 0:09:23APPLAUSE And, and, they returned the South
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Belfast seat to the unionist fold for the first time in 12 years.
0:09:27 > 0:09:39APPLAUSE Emma, and Paul's excellent victories
0:09:39 > 0:09:44further strengthen our team at Westminster, so brilliantly led by
0:09:44 > 0:09:50Nigel... APPLAUSE
0:09:50 > 0:09:56At such a crucial time in our nation's history. We are truly
0:09:56 > 0:10:00fortunate that our Parliamentary party is led by someone as trusted
0:10:00 > 0:10:09as and as able sz Nigel Dodds. APPLAUSE
0:10:09 > 0:10:13And I want to again very publicly acknowledge and thank Nigel for the
0:10:13 > 0:10:19support he has given to me. He is a steadfast and loyal deputy leader
0:10:19 > 0:10:25and his service to this party and to our country cannot be overstated.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30Now we all worked for the success, but to return the highest number of
0:10:30 > 0:10:34MPs in our history, to register the largest percentage share of the vote
0:10:34 > 0:10:40ever for our party, and to record the biggest vote of any party since
0:10:40 > 0:10:461985 was an astounding achievement. The people proved that more votes,
0:10:46 > 0:10:52means more seats which means more influence. Your efforts, knocking
0:10:52 > 0:10:57doors, delivering leaflets and putting up posters all added up to
0:10:57 > 0:11:02almost 300,000 votes and together you all helped to make history. And
0:11:02 > 0:11:06that momentous result put our party in an unparallel position at
0:11:06 > 0:11:11Westminster. Now, for our part, we made it clear that our priority was
0:11:11 > 0:11:16to help bring stability to our nation. Do you remember how some
0:11:16 > 0:11:21said that the DUP would push a narrow agenda in our negotiations?
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Well, what we secured was for everyone across Northern Ireland.
0:11:25 > 0:11:38APPLAUSE Not narrow and not sectional, but a
0:11:38 > 0:11:42deal that benefits all of the people of Northern Ireland. And it wasn't
0:11:42 > 0:11:46just an agreement about Northern Ireland, we have ensured that
0:11:46 > 0:11:49pensioners in every part of our kingdom will have the security of
0:11:49 > 0:11:57knowing that the triple-lock on pensions is safe and that the Winter
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Fuel Payment will remain universal. We are the party for Northern
0:12:01 > 0:12:04Ireland, but our unionism doesn't end at the Irish Sea. We will always
0:12:04 > 0:12:09fight hard for the best deal for Northern Ireland, but we care about
0:12:09 > 0:12:12vulnerable people in Bristol and Birmingham, every bit as much as
0:12:12 > 0:12:18those in Belfast. That, of course, is the very essence of our unionism,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21whether English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish, we aren't
0:12:21 > 0:12:26competitors or rivals in this United Kingdom, we are bound together as
0:12:26 > 0:12:31one, stronger together than apart. And it is...
0:12:31 > 0:12:40APPLAUSE It is an honour underpinned with a
0:12:40 > 0:12:43solemn responsibility to be able to help bring stability to our United
0:12:43 > 0:12:48Kingdom in these challenging times and we do it seized with an abiding
0:12:48 > 0:12:52sense of duty to the national interest. Now we will avail of every
0:12:52 > 0:12:57opportunity now and in the future to advance the union as a whole, and
0:12:57 > 0:13:03Northern Ireland's place within it. Securing support for our pensioners,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07at determination to support our Armed Forces and a commitment to
0:13:07 > 0:13:12maintain the same cash support for farmers until 2022, are
0:13:12 > 0:13:16illustrations of what we mean when we say we will help shape policies
0:13:16 > 0:13:19in the national interest. We will bring that same philosophy of doing
0:13:19 > 0:13:22what's in our nation's best interests to the other challenges
0:13:22 > 0:13:26that the United Kingdom will face over the course of the current
0:13:26 > 0:13:31Parliament. Now, there is no doubt that delivering on the decision of
0:13:31 > 0:13:36the people of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union is perhaps
0:13:36 > 0:13:40the most substantial and complex process the Government and
0:13:40 > 0:13:46Parliament has under taken in the modern political era. From the UK's
0:13:46 > 0:13:50entry to the old European Community, to the failure of member states to
0:13:50 > 0:13:56agree to reform the European Union, this party has been consistently
0:13:56 > 0:14:00sceptical about Brussels. Now, much has been said about Brexit.
0:14:00 > 0:14:06Listening to some quarters you would be forgiven that life as we know it
0:14:06 > 0:14:10will end. But during the referendum campaign and ever since some of
0:14:10 > 0:14:15those who advocated Remain have argued that the UK's departure from
0:14:15 > 0:14:18the European Union will result in a hard border on the island of
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Ireland. Now, I said from this platform, 12 months ago, that no one
0:14:22 > 0:14:27wishes that to be the case. We want our border to remain open for people
0:14:27 > 0:14:32to move freely, north and south, for work, for education, and as
0:14:32 > 0:14:36tourists. We want to see continued trading across the border in the
0:14:36 > 0:14:41economic interests of our two countries.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46I also said that any exit deal must recognise reality of our geography
0:14:46 > 0:14:50and history and not for us, we wanted to get the best deal for
0:14:50 > 0:14:56Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom as a whole. We want a
0:14:56 > 0:15:00sensible Brexit. That works for Northern Ireland and for the United
0:15:00 > 0:15:06Kingdom. However, we will not support any arrangements that create
0:15:06 > 0:15:10barriers to trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Or
0:15:10 > 0:15:15any suggestion that Northern Ireland, unlike the rest of the UK,
0:15:15 > 0:15:21will have to mirror European regulations. I have written to the
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Heads of Government Conference of the EU 27 member states setting out
0:15:24 > 0:15:29our views and Diane Dodds will continue her work in Brussels in the
0:15:29 > 0:15:35coming days to reinforce our position. The economic reality for
0:15:35 > 0:15:38our economy is that our most important trading relationship is
0:15:38 > 0:15:42with the rest of the UK and we will do nothing that puts that at risk in
0:15:42 > 0:15:49any way. And we welcome the assurances from our Prime Minister
0:15:49 > 0:15:53and the UK Brexit team that no such internal barriers will be
0:15:53 > 0:15:59countenanced and as we join the then European Community as one nation, we
0:15:59 > 0:16:05believe as one United Kingdom. APPLAUSE.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08-- we will leave.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19The general election provided unionism with the perfect
0:16:19 > 0:16:25opportunity to bounce back. But we have no intention of resting on our
0:16:25 > 0:16:29laurels are taking success for granted. Our mission is to secure
0:16:29 > 0:16:34Northern Ireland 's place within the union. Our mission is to make
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Northern Ireland as good as we know it can be. And our mission is to
0:16:37 > 0:16:43make life better for all of our people. I am a unionist by
0:16:43 > 0:16:48conviction and unashamedly so. I believe the union is the best basis
0:16:48 > 0:16:53upon which we can build a peaceful and prosperous society in Northern
0:16:53 > 0:16:59Ireland. Regardless of some of the propaganda, the truth is, the union
0:16:59 > 0:17:05is secure and no matter how many times we are told that the North is
0:17:05 > 0:17:07not British, Northern Ireland is British and will remain British!
0:17:07 > 0:17:23APPLAUSE. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:17:27 > 0:17:32I was motivated to enter public life necessity because of my desire to
0:17:32 > 0:17:37protect and preserve our place within the United Kingdom but
0:17:37 > 0:17:41defending the union is not our only child. We are also charged with the
0:17:41 > 0:17:46crucial task of advancing our vision for Northern Ireland. And perhaps
0:17:46 > 0:17:50precisely because in the past years we have had to guard against those
0:17:50 > 0:17:54who would destroy the union, we have not always spent sufficient time
0:17:54 > 0:17:59spelling out that positive vision. We need to spend more time outlining
0:17:59 > 0:18:03the count of Northern Ireland we want to see flourish and why at is
0:18:03 > 0:18:07best advanced through being part of the union. But the country is
0:18:07 > 0:18:13nothing without its people. A society's real strength is not
0:18:13 > 0:18:18generated by GDP but by its people. And I never cease to be astounded by
0:18:18 > 0:18:24the exceptional nature of our people. Northern Ireland is too
0:18:24 > 0:18:29often characterised by what divides us. But I am always amazed by how so
0:18:29 > 0:18:33many of the people I meet might have very different life experiences but
0:18:33 > 0:18:39almost all shared the same Northern Ireland values. They are humble, as
0:18:39 > 0:18:45they are hard-working. They are deeply devoted to their families.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49They believe in personal responsibility but they will not be
0:18:49 > 0:18:53found wanting whenever a neighbour is in need. They possess compassion
0:18:53 > 0:18:58for those who are less well off, no matter where in the world they live,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02and they have a pride in our country and the achievements of all of our
0:19:02 > 0:19:07people. But what I believe sets us apart, what marks us out as special
0:19:07 > 0:19:14and what gives us the real edge over others is the spirit of never giving
0:19:14 > 0:19:22up. It is embedded deep in our DNA. We experienced adversity yet face at
0:19:22 > 0:19:29down. And through all of the tough times of the Troubles, our people
0:19:29 > 0:19:31never stopped believing in the promise and potential of Northern
0:19:31 > 0:19:37Ireland. And we owe it to the generation that came through the
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Troubles and maybe even more so to those generations that follow to
0:19:40 > 0:19:48fulfil that promise and potential. Northern Ireland people want their
0:19:48 > 0:19:53children and their grandchildren to do better than them. To realise
0:19:53 > 0:19:57their dreams and enjoy life in ways that from maybe denied to them. And
0:19:57 > 0:20:04everywhere I go, I see that real sense of ambition. That same sense
0:20:04 > 0:20:09of aspiring to be all that you can be was ingrained in me from a very
0:20:09 > 0:20:14early age. My mother and father instilled in me that believe that
0:20:14 > 0:20:19the only barrier to becoming whatever I wanted to be was myself.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24So that desire to inspire the next generation is as strong today as it
0:20:24 > 0:20:31was when I was growing up. It is exactly that desire to not only
0:20:31 > 0:20:34ensure that Northern Ireland is a better place to live than it was and
0:20:34 > 0:20:38I was growing up, but that we are still to the next generation and
0:20:38 > 0:20:44Northern Ireland where they can get a job, afford a home, raise a family
0:20:44 > 0:20:50and live their lives to the full. And that is the of this party. That
0:20:50 > 0:20:55is why we are the people's party, the party that puts people first.
0:20:55 > 0:21:01The party that prioritises attracting jobs and investment and
0:21:01 > 0:21:05improving the health services and our schools and housing and
0:21:05 > 0:21:09infrastructure so that all of our people can live better lives. We
0:21:09 > 0:21:14either party for people trying but finding it difficult to get their
0:21:14 > 0:21:17foot onto the property ladder for the first time. For young families
0:21:17 > 0:21:23who find the cost of childcare a barrier to working. For the
0:21:23 > 0:21:28pensioner who has worked hard all their life and just wants a
0:21:28 > 0:21:32retirement free from worry and who will look after them and how it will
0:21:32 > 0:21:35be paid for. For the small business owner who finds their ability to
0:21:35 > 0:21:39grow and create more jobs stifled by unnecessary bureaucracy and red
0:21:39 > 0:21:47tape. They are the people we serve. They are the people that motivate me
0:21:47 > 0:21:55to keep moving forward. In everything we do, in everything we
0:21:55 > 0:21:59say, and in everything we try to achieve as a party, we must be the
0:21:59 > 0:22:10party the people. APPLAUSE.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18Most people do not want or expect their government to do everything
0:22:18 > 0:22:23but what they do demand is that their government put the taxes they
0:22:23 > 0:22:29pay to good use and deliver the sort of services they, their families and
0:22:29 > 0:22:34community need to enjoy a good life. The government's only job is to
0:22:34 > 0:22:39serve the people. It is there to protect people, provide the
0:22:39 > 0:22:45vulnerable with a safety net and act when and where the markets fail to
0:22:45 > 0:22:49serve the people properly. Our mission is to do all that we can to
0:22:49 > 0:22:52make life a little bit easier for people who get up early in the
0:22:52 > 0:22:57morning, get their kids to school and do a hard day's work. Our
0:22:57 > 0:23:03mission is absolutely about affirming our British identity.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Upholding the constitutional status of Northern Ireland as an integral
0:23:07 > 0:23:11part of the United Kingdom. But our mission is also about ensuring that
0:23:11 > 0:23:19people all across the UK can have a good life also. I want everyone in
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Northern Ireland, regardless of whether they are unionist or
0:23:22 > 0:23:26nationalist or don't consider themselves either, to ensure a good
0:23:26 > 0:23:31quality of life and to be able to pass on to the next generation a
0:23:31 > 0:23:36better Northern Ireland, filled with opportunities for all. I know it is
0:23:36 > 0:23:38popular to bash Stormont and criticised evolution. You may have
0:23:38 > 0:23:46noticed that! But to say it has delivered nothing is not true. The
0:23:46 > 0:23:51truth is that during our devolved government, whilst far from perfect,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55there were record levels of inward investment, scores of new schools
0:23:55 > 0:23:59built and miles of new roads constructed and hundreds of millions
0:23:59 > 0:24:06more spent on health. And while we have more influence than ever before
0:24:06 > 0:24:10at Westminster, we also want to see our local institutions functioning
0:24:10 > 0:24:14and delivering for the people of Northern Ireland. Making our mission
0:24:14 > 0:24:20reality is best achieved by getting the Assembly and Executive back
0:24:20 > 0:24:24doing what the people elected us to do. That is why we should have
0:24:24 > 0:24:29established the Executive eight months ago. Without any
0:24:29 > 0:24:39preconditions. APPLAUSE.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Because we would have got the government going again whilst
0:24:43 > 0:24:48dealing with the issues of language and culture in parallel but such a
0:24:48 > 0:24:52pragmatic approach was rejected by the heavy Brigade in Sinn Fein. That
0:24:52 > 0:24:58should not surprise us. Let us not forget how Sinn Fein stopped the
0:24:58 > 0:25:03Executive from meeting for almost one year over policing and justice.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08Or how they allowed over £150 million to be lost as they delayed
0:25:08 > 0:25:11the limitation of welfare reforms that in the end they largely agree
0:25:11 > 0:25:16to. They walked away from office earlier this year knowing what that
0:25:16 > 0:25:22would mean for public services and the hurt and harm it would cause to
0:25:22 > 0:25:29hard-working people. They protest against health cuts yet held that
0:25:29 > 0:25:32very portfolio in the last Executive where they would have been able to
0:25:32 > 0:25:37do much more than complaining that public meetings. They moan about
0:25:37 > 0:25:42what they called Tory austerity yet their Finance Minister failed to
0:25:42 > 0:25:47bring in a budget, leaving it to the Conservative Secretary of State to
0:25:47 > 0:25:53legislate for our budget at Westminster. They complain about
0:25:53 > 0:25:56Brexit, all the while refusing to form and Executive or take their
0:25:56 > 0:25:59seats in parliament and they go to conference and glory in the murder
0:25:59 > 0:26:10of the IRA. APPLAUSE.
0:26:12 > 0:26:18Let me say this... Today, my thoughts are with the victims of
0:26:18 > 0:26:23Enniskillen, Kingsmill, Le Man and many thousands of innocent victims
0:26:23 > 0:26:27who have conducted themselves with dignity over many decades.
0:26:27 > 0:26:37APPLAUSE.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47-- La Mon. Yet when you listen to Sinn Fein, they blame everyone else.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52It is time Sinn Fein got serious. Our team has been working hard over
0:26:52 > 0:26:57this last few months in the talks process and I want to thank my
0:26:57 > 0:27:03Stormont team, who have been there be fully. In particular, Simon
0:27:03 > 0:27:07Hamilton, Edwin Poots and Philip Weir, who have been very faithful in
0:27:07 > 0:27:16their support of me. APPLAUSE.
0:27:16 > 0:27:22Some progress was made but that can only be built upon if all sides are
0:27:22 > 0:27:27genuinely serious about obtaining a deal that is balanced. This party
0:27:27 > 0:27:33will conclude a balanced deal but we will not be party to a one-sided
0:27:33 > 0:27:36arrangement that rewards intransigent behaviour. Northern
0:27:36 > 0:27:42Ireland needs of government and we cannot continue without ministers.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Time is short. And those in Sinn Fein blocking the restoration of
0:27:45 > 0:27:50local decision-making need to decide whether they want to do business
0:27:50 > 0:27:56with us or have direct rule ministers in place instead. For my
0:27:56 > 0:27:59part, I still believe that devolution is the best way to govern
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Northern Ireland but to do that and obey that delivers for all our
0:28:03 > 0:28:09people we need serious partners in government. ... In a way. One key
0:28:09 > 0:28:12element of the talks that is critical is that of any new
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Executive is to be restored it must be on a sustainable basis and all
0:28:16 > 0:28:22parties who share that view must insist on being the case. I said
0:28:22 > 0:28:27back in the summer that this party was prepared to legislate for the
0:28:27 > 0:28:31Irish language in the context of legislating for the plurality of
0:28:31 > 0:28:35cultures that exist in Northern Ireland. We know the Irish language
0:28:35 > 0:28:38is spoken and enjoyed by thousands of people in all parts of Northern
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Ireland, it does no damage to our unionism or the union that we
0:28:41 > 0:28:47cherish. I respect the Irish language and those who speak it.
0:28:47 > 0:28:48However, respect is not a one-way street.
0:28:48 > 0:28:58APPLAUSE.
0:28:59 > 0:29:05Respect works both ways. It is time that Sinn Fein started to respect
0:29:05 > 0:29:11our British culture. For too long they have shown nothing but disdain
0:29:11 > 0:29:18and this respect for the national flag, the Royal Family, the armed
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Forces, British symbols, the constitutional reality and the very
0:29:20 > 0:29:24name of this country! So we are up for respect.
0:29:24 > 0:29:34APPLAUSE.
0:29:37 > 0:29:43We are up for respect. And we are up for rights. Because Republicans like
0:29:43 > 0:29:50to lecture us about rights, have you noticed? There were not so concerned
0:29:50 > 0:29:53about that most fundamental of rights, the right to life, during
0:29:53 > 0:30:03the Troubles. APPLAUSE.
0:30:07 > 0:30:13We are for rights and we respect rights. What we oppose is using the
0:30:13 > 0:30:18cloak of rights as a Trojan Horse designed to break unionists. And I
0:30:18 > 0:30:23know probably more than anybody that our politics can be tough. Brutal,
0:30:23 > 0:30:29even. But I am passionate in my belief that politics has to be about
0:30:29 > 0:30:33making a difference in the lives of every single one of our citizens.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38Back in the spring I visited our Lady's Grammar School in Newry and I
0:30:38 > 0:30:43came away with two things. A greater understanding of the genuine passion
0:30:43 > 0:30:47and love many have for the Irish language and a beautiful gift of a
0:30:47 > 0:30:51framed picture. And that picture was inscribed with the words, together
0:30:51 > 0:30:57we are strong. And those words really registered with me. Every are
0:30:57 > 0:31:03to generate opportunities for the pupils of that school and all the
0:31:03 > 0:31:05other schools across Northern Ireland, to fulfil their potential,
0:31:05 > 0:31:15then we have a far better chance if we are moving forward together.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19As you know I am very fond of the work of CS Lewis and I want to
0:31:19 > 0:31:25conclude with one of his quotes. He once wrote, "You can't go back and
0:31:25 > 0:31:29change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the
0:31:29 > 0:31:39ending." And CS Lewis was right. We cannot go backwards and undo what we
0:31:39 > 0:31:42have done. We cannot start again from somewhere different. We have to
0:31:42 > 0:31:47deal with things the way they are. But that doesn't mean the end is
0:31:47 > 0:31:52already written. We can shape the future for the next generation. That
0:31:52 > 0:31:56is so much better than what we had to experience. Build a Northern
0:31:56 > 0:32:03Ireland where everyone can live a good life. Create a country where
0:32:03 > 0:32:06ambition and aspiration are encouraged and opportunities exist
0:32:06 > 0:32:11to fill them. Now, I love this country. And I want it to be the
0:32:11 > 0:32:19best that we all know it can be. And that is my vision and that is our
0:32:19 > 0:32:24mission because together we are strong and together standing strong,
0:32:24 > 0:32:29we will achieve that mission and move Northern Ireland forward to a
0:32:29 > 0:32:38better future. Thank you. APPLAUSE
0:32:41 > 0:32:46So Arlene Foster on her feet there delivering that final speech in this
0:32:46 > 0:32:53year's DUP conference. 25, 26 minutes I reckon and not
0:32:53 > 0:32:56surprisingly, an enthusiastic response for what she had to say.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00You can see some of the well-known members of the party there in the
0:33:00 > 0:33:07front row and behind them applauding, cheering, I saw Ian
0:33:07 > 0:33:15Paisley, son of the former First Minister. Gavin Robinson. I saw
0:33:15 > 0:33:20Nigel Dodds sitting in the audience alongside various other senior
0:33:20 > 0:33:25members of the team. There is Nigel Dodds the deputy leader taking to
0:33:25 > 0:33:36the platform with Arlene Foster and holding her hand aloft. She looks
0:33:36 > 0:33:40Rick, she looks pleased with how that went. Is it fair to say? What
0:33:40 > 0:33:47did you think? Did she tick all the boxes?I think she is as much
0:33:47 > 0:33:52relieved as pleased because she has had a rough year what with the
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Assembly election, RHI, then the bounce back which began with the
0:33:56 > 0:34:00general election in June. So it has been a topsy-turvy 12 months for
0:34:00 > 0:34:08Arlene Foster. I think if you compare with Gerry Adams was the
0:34:08 > 0:34:13attention she gave to criticising Sinn Fein. Last week Gerry Adams
0:34:13 > 0:34:17levelled most of his criticism at the Irish and the British
0:34:17 > 0:34:22Governments. She took her gloves off in blaming Sinn Fein in effect for
0:34:22 > 0:34:26the failure to restore devolution and she did express her own
0:34:26 > 0:34:32preference for the Restoration of devolution, but like others in her
0:34:32 > 0:34:37party, I think she is preparing the party for the possibility that we
0:34:37 > 0:34:48will get a fully fledge devolution in the New Year.Embraces from Simon
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Hamilton, a senior member of the team and senior negotiator in the
0:34:51 > 0:34:56talks. There is Diane Dodds, wife of course of Nigel Dodds. We also saw
0:34:56 > 0:35:03there on the platform Willie McCrea the former MP, Peter Weir, William
0:35:03 > 0:35:09McCrea taking to the stage to lead the cheers for Arlene Foster and she
0:35:09 > 0:35:12has taken a seat at the front of the hall. They are mopping up
0:35:12 > 0:35:16proceedings. She will be coming out to speak to members of the media
0:35:16 > 0:35:21very shortly. In terms of how she delivered that, did she seem to be
0:35:21 > 0:35:24comfortable? With said with yourself and Mark said beforehand, it was
0:35:24 > 0:35:28quite a difficult trick for her to have to pull off. She had success
0:35:28 > 0:35:32and she had challenges in the past 12 months?She certainly had. The
0:35:32 > 0:35:36other thing I thought she got right was the balance between if you like
0:35:36 > 0:35:41the national UK wide picture and the more local picture, you know, the
0:35:41 > 0:35:44first part of the speech was apart from celebrating the achief
0:35:44 > 0:35:47inspectors in June, and thanking people for their performance and
0:35:47 > 0:35:51help and so on, was how they have contributed to the wider UK agenda
0:35:51 > 0:35:56and I think she put that upfront and then turned her attention towards,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00you know, our local difficulties as it were. Expressing her preference
0:36:00 > 0:36:05for devolution as I say, but actually, there is nothing in there.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08You remember if last week, Theresa May talked about maybe talks
0:36:08 > 0:36:12beginning or encouraging talks next week. There was nothing I think in
0:36:12 > 0:36:17that speech in and of itself that suggested those talks would get
0:36:17 > 0:36:21under way next week. There was very little in terms of detail. She
0:36:21 > 0:36:25recited her position on the Irish Language Act which is that she
0:36:25 > 0:36:29clearly I think is expressing a preference for a kind of catch all,
0:36:29 > 0:36:34multi-cultural approach to the issue. So, there is going to be no
0:36:34 > 0:36:39movement on that. She reinforced the message about no border on the Irish
0:36:39 > 0:36:44Sea in relation to Brexit. The kind of restatement of what we know the
0:36:44 > 0:36:48DUP currently its position is in relation to the talks and indeed, in
0:36:48 > 0:36:52relation to Brexit. But actually there was nothing there, I think, to
0:36:52 > 0:36:56encourage any idea that the devolution is on the horizon. I
0:36:56 > 0:37:00think really what she is doing is softening people up for the very
0:37:00 > 0:37:05real possibility now, I think, of direct rule, but I was really taken
0:37:05 > 0:37:10with the extent which A, she claimed the DUP was now the People's Party
0:37:10 > 0:37:14which I don't know which people is included?Did she mean, do you
0:37:14 > 0:37:18think, unionist people or did she mean the people of Northern Ireland
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Was she thinking about her prove role as First Minister where she
0:37:21 > 0:37:24spoke on behalf of everybody in Northern Ireland, that was the
0:37:24 > 0:37:28theory anyway and do you think she has carried a bit of that with her
0:37:28 > 0:37:32into today's speech? It was very much a people of Northern Ireland
0:37:32 > 0:37:37who saw the world through DUP eyes. Is it fair to say that?I think so.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41No, of course, as First Minister, she is going to want to speak for
0:37:41 > 0:37:44the whole of Northern Ireland, particularly in relation to the
0:37:44 > 0:37:48negotiations with the UK Government. But she is not in that role at the
0:37:48 > 0:37:53moment?She is not. Unlike Nicola Sturgeon who has her own platform in
0:37:53 > 0:37:59Scotland or Carwyn Jones in Cardiff, she has no political platform other
0:37:59 > 0:38:03than that as leader of the DUP and the spotlight for the DUP has
0:38:03 > 0:38:07shifted to Westminster where Nigel Dodds is in the driving seat and for
0:38:07 > 0:38:11Sinn Fein their focus has shifted southwards, the centres of political
0:38:11 > 0:38:14gravity for each of the parties has moved geographically and
0:38:14 > 0:38:21politically.And just a word about the fire she directed towards Sinn
0:38:21 > 0:38:26Fein. There were several speeches. We had a copy of the speech that ran
0:38:26 > 0:38:29to 16 pages, two-and-a-half pages were devoted entirely to Sinn Fein
0:38:29 > 0:38:33and the obstacles that they have repeatedly put in the way of
0:38:33 > 0:38:36progress towards the re-establishment of devolution. She
0:38:36 > 0:38:40turned that whole respect issue back on Sinn Fein.She did.She said we
0:38:40 > 0:38:45are big fans of respect, but that's what that means?Precisely. It was a
0:38:45 > 0:38:51nifty sort of bit of footwork there in turning the tables the way she
0:38:51 > 0:38:55did. There was a put down of Michelle O'Neill, Northern Ireland
0:38:55 > 0:38:59is British and if you remember, O'Neill actually said when they
0:38:59 > 0:39:02appeared together on the platform earlier this year, that Northern
0:39:02 > 0:39:07Ireland isn't really British, do you remember that?Yes?Ar-Shrien said
0:39:07 > 0:39:18she didn't want to create a row on air, but it was a very belated, but
0:39:18 > 0:39:22nevertheless explicit and trenchant criticism.It was on a platform in
0:39:22 > 0:39:25Oxford and there were a lot of people watching.There were a lot of
0:39:25 > 0:39:28people watching. I suspect some of the people watching were in Britain
0:39:28 > 0:39:32and they will have a memory and they will have witnessed what was a slap
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Down for Michelle O'Neill.We will come back and hear more thoughts in
0:39:35 > 0:39:42due course, Rick. For now, thank you very much indeed.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Let's bring in our Political Editor, Mark Devenport, who is at
0:39:45 > 0:39:52the conference venue for us.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56Mark, the focus of attention has moved to Westminster with Stormont
0:39:56 > 0:40:00down and potentially the Sinn Fein thinking about thoughts in terms of
0:40:00 > 0:40:06future Irish elections. So, I have two MPs to talk about what they have
0:40:06 > 0:40:10heard in terms of the speech. How did you think it went? What did you
0:40:10 > 0:40:13think the key theme was Emma Little-Pengelly, your leader was
0:40:13 > 0:40:16trying to drive home?Well, I thought it was a fantastic speech
0:40:16 > 0:40:21and I think at the very heart of that was a very positive vision for
0:40:21 > 0:40:23Northern Ireland and a message that the Democratic Unionist Party is
0:40:23 > 0:40:26there to work for everybody across all communities in Northern Ireland
0:40:26 > 0:40:31and also that we believe very firmly that it is unionism that provides
0:40:31 > 0:40:36the best pathway for a secure future and the best for business our young
0:40:36 > 0:40:39people and everybody in Northern Ireland.Gregory Campbell, isn't
0:40:39 > 0:40:42there a clash? There was a long section of her speech which was to
0:40:42 > 0:40:46do with bread and butter politics and she said we're working for
0:40:46 > 0:40:49everyone. You have got the flags flying and she is saying that
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Northern Ireland is British and will remain British. You are not working
0:40:51 > 0:40:56for everyone, you are working for unionistsThat's assuming the flags
0:40:56 > 0:41:01are not all embracing. Most people will look at the speech and draw
0:41:01 > 0:41:06attention to the contrast. Last weekend we had narrow, nationalist
0:41:06 > 0:41:10minded up the rebels contributions at Sinn Fein's ARDESH. What do we
0:41:10 > 0:41:14get today? The DUP saying let's move forward for everyone. We're proud of
0:41:14 > 0:41:18our Britishness, but it is not exclusive. It is inclusive. I think
0:41:18 > 0:41:21a lot of people will be drawing contrast between last weekend and
0:41:21 > 0:41:26this weekend and we would welcome attention on the contrasts.A few
0:41:26 > 0:41:31digs at the expense of Sinn Fein... Of course.Your deputy leader said
0:41:31 > 0:41:35Arlene is not going away, a reference to Gerry Adams and there
0:41:35 > 0:41:39was a dig from Arlene back to Michelle O'Neill.Party conferences
0:41:39 > 0:41:43do tend to respond like that because people want to know are the party
0:41:43 > 0:41:47delivering for their supporters? But are they delivering in a more
0:41:47 > 0:41:51comprehensive wide ranging way and that's what we tried to do and I
0:41:51 > 0:41:55think successfully.We can hear the National Anthem in the background...
0:41:55 > 0:42:01Which is even better. What a great note to finish on?Isn't the truth,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Emma Little-Pengelly, there is a divergence within the party is if
0:42:04 > 0:42:13there was direct rule the MPs would be absolutely and utterly centre
0:42:13 > 0:42:16stageThe Democratic Unionist Party has been a party of devolution. We
0:42:16 > 0:42:20want to see a local Assembly. It is the best for the people of Northern
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Ireland to have a local Assembly delivering for the people of
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Northern Ireland, but of course, the MPs, we have a lot of influence at
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Westminster. We will do that in parallel regardless of whether the
0:42:28 > 0:42:32Assembly is there or not. . We will continue to try to fight for the
0:42:32 > 0:42:37best deal for our Kensies in Northern Ireland and for the entire
0:42:37 > 0:42:41of the UK in this wip we have with the Conservative Party.Can you
0:42:41 > 0:42:45clear up some confusion? I interviewed Arlene Foster and she
0:42:45 > 0:42:49told me has lots of doubts about the statue of limitations for police
0:42:49 > 0:42:53officers and I thought you and Jim Shannon and Jeffrey Donaldson
0:42:53 > 0:42:56thought it was an excellent thing. What's the DUP policy on that?We
0:42:56 > 0:43:00have been clear. It is an interesting proposal. It hasn't been
0:43:00 > 0:43:04led by us, but when you look at what Arlene Foster said, she indicated
0:43:04 > 0:43:07she had concerns about amnesty, a statute of limitations is not an
0:43:07 > 0:43:11amnesty. And I think we need to see the detail of it because of course,
0:43:11 > 0:43:17we don't nou what statutory limitations would cover. It doesn't
0:43:17 > 0:43:19necessary have to cover all offences. It is a limit when a
0:43:19 > 0:43:23prosecution can be brought or a time limit which is not uncommon across a
0:43:23 > 0:43:27range of criminal offences. We need to look at the detail of it. We have
0:43:27 > 0:43:31indicated it is an interesting proposal, but we have always opposed
0:43:31 > 0:43:37an amnesty. We have a concern about an amnesty, but in statute of
0:43:37 > 0:43:41limitations is something we will look at.If lawyers gave an opinion
0:43:41 > 0:43:45you can't have one without the other?As a lawyer, I would be of
0:43:45 > 0:43:51the view.Some lawyers think thatWe have limitations in place for a
0:43:51 > 0:43:55range of offence that is doesn't apply generally to others. We look
0:43:55 > 0:43:58at this, but we need to see the detail and we haven't seen the
0:43:58 > 0:44:02detail. It hasn't been led by us. It has been led by the Government and
0:44:02 > 0:44:09some of the Conservative Party and we will look at the detail.Gregory
0:44:09 > 0:44:15Campbell, you had Julian Smith. Nigel Dodds said you will get the £1
0:44:15 > 0:44:19billion delivered, but he said either on the time scale set out or
0:44:19 > 0:44:24in a manner satisfactory to us. Is that last phrase an acknowledgement
0:44:24 > 0:44:29that it might take longer than you were hoping for?
0:44:29 > 0:44:32EitherEither way, we will get it delivered. It is our preference it
0:44:32 > 0:44:36will be delivered in an efficient way through devolution, but Sinn
0:44:36 > 0:44:43Fein or no one else should believe their stalling tactics is going to
0:44:43 > 0:44:46prevent delivery for the people of Northern Ireland. We will get the
0:44:46 > 0:44:51money delivered, but it would be better if it was delivered through
0:44:51 > 0:44:55devolved ministers.I suppose that then leads us on in conclusion to
0:44:55 > 0:44:58when do you think the deadline should be set on the talks because
0:44:58 > 0:45:01you know, we have heard a lot of talk in recent weeks about time is
0:45:01 > 0:45:05short, we can't go on with this half-way house, any longer, but
0:45:05 > 0:45:08surely we are getting to the point now where there should be a cut off
0:45:08 > 0:45:15point?We are. The Republic of Ireland politics has entered into
0:45:15 > 0:45:20the frame. We should know in the next few days if an election is
0:45:20 > 0:45:24imminently. If it is, we presume Sinn Fein's emphasis will move to
0:45:24 > 0:45:29the Republic for the next three or four weeks which would put the
0:45:29 > 0:45:33throttle back in neutral, but that's not our wish. It is not our
0:45:33 > 0:45:37emphasis. Let's get on and get the deal done. Get the money spent. The
0:45:37 > 0:45:41money that we negotiated for everybody. Let's see benefit for
0:45:41 > 0:45:45everybody through devolution and gets get it done immediately.Do you
0:45:45 > 0:45:52think we are heading for direct rule or devolution?
0:45:52 > 0:45:56We remain optimistic for devolution, it is the best for everybody in
0:45:56 > 0:45:59Northern Ireland so I will remain confident and optimistic and hopeful
0:45:59 > 0:46:08best.Thank you.Back to you in the studio. Thank you. Earlier the DUP
0:46:08 > 0:46:12Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds addressed the conference delegates, he said it
0:46:12 > 0:46:17was quite a year as a party became big players at Westminster, propping
0:46:17 > 0:46:20up to reason a's government in exchange for that billion pounds
0:46:20 > 0:46:27deal. Also being crowned the go for brokering the deal. A large part of
0:46:27 > 0:46:32his speech was dedicated to praise for his leader.The test of any
0:46:32 > 0:46:36reader's metal is that how they perform when the sun is on their
0:46:36 > 0:46:40face, it is during the darkest of times that their true worth shines
0:46:40 > 0:46:45through. There is a lot of talk about fake news these days. But if
0:46:45 > 0:46:49anybody wants to see such a phenomenon in action, they could do
0:46:49 > 0:46:53worse than review how Arlene Foster has been treated in 2017.
0:46:53 > 0:47:03APPLAUSE. The truth is, these people do not
0:47:03 > 0:47:07come for you because you are weak but because you are strong.
0:47:07 > 0:47:16APPLAUSE. And though it has been testing and
0:47:16 > 0:47:20trying at times for you and your family, you have come through this
0:47:20 > 0:47:25stronger and better than ever. Those who thought you could be harassed
0:47:25 > 0:47:30out of politics did not reckon on the will and resolve of a strong
0:47:30 > 0:47:31unionist woman from County Fermanagh!
0:47:31 > 0:47:44APPLAUSE. I say on behalf of of every elected
0:47:44 > 0:47:48member and every member of this party at a time when other political
0:47:48 > 0:47:52leaders are heading for the exit stage left, Arlene is not going
0:47:52 > 0:47:58away! APPLAUSE.
0:47:58 > 0:48:02And when the republican leadership decreed that Martin McGuinness would
0:48:02 > 0:48:07have to resign his post as Deputy First Minister, the real goal was to
0:48:07 > 0:48:14rob the DUP of power and influence. Well, that strategy has hit a few
0:48:14 > 0:48:21bumps along the way, hasn't it? Little did our critics think that
0:48:21 > 0:48:23within six months, the very existence of a government of this
0:48:23 > 0:48:29United Kingdom would depend on the Democratic Unionist Party and that
0:48:29 > 0:48:34Sinn Fein MPs and MLAs would be reduced to carping critics of
0:48:34 > 0:48:40everything and everyone from the sidelines. Today, it is this party
0:48:40 > 0:48:44that stands in the heart of government, not in Northern Ireland
0:48:44 > 0:48:48but across the United Kingdom. APPLAUSE.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52None of us want to see direct rule introduced but we are fast
0:48:52 > 0:48:56approaching the moment when it will be the lesser of two evils. I know
0:48:56 > 0:49:02there are many in other parties and across the United Kingdom, when I
0:49:02 > 0:49:05outline the list of achievements that we have managed to secure,
0:49:05 > 0:49:09think that Northern Ireland got too good of the deal from the
0:49:09 > 0:49:15government. But when I see how critical our votes have been just in
0:49:15 > 0:49:21recent days, I begin to wonder, did we settled to easily? There are some
0:49:21 > 0:49:28who even say in the House of Commons that each DUP MP is worth as much as
0:49:28 > 0:49:35Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, £100 million each! That is an insult! It
0:49:35 > 0:49:42should be Steve Davis and Kyle Lafferty, in our view! That was
0:49:42 > 0:49:46Nigel Dodds delivering his speech as Deputy Leader. We can talk about
0:49:46 > 0:49:51that to Professor Rick Wilford. What did you make of that? Arlene Foster
0:49:51 > 0:49:56paid a very warm tribute to Nigel Dodds. Earlier, he had paid that
0:49:56 > 0:50:01very warm tribute to her.It is a very public demonstration of the
0:50:01 > 0:50:04close working relationship they have and the close political relationship
0:50:04 > 0:50:09they have and it is trying to project a picture that the DUP is in
0:50:09 > 0:50:14safe hands at Westminster with Nigel Dodds as the leader whereas Arlene
0:50:14 > 0:50:20Foster, who doesn't have a formal elected role, you are equally in
0:50:20 > 0:50:25safe hands locally. We trained both of them, they present a very strong
0:50:25 > 0:50:32and cohesive front to the wider public. He is not short on blowing
0:50:32 > 0:50:37his own and his colleagues' trumpets because of the deal that was struck
0:50:37 > 0:50:41between the DUP and the Conservatives in the wake of the
0:50:41 > 0:50:45general election. The confidence and supply agreement. It is interesting,
0:50:45 > 0:50:49if you think about the stability of governments and administrations
0:50:49 > 0:50:55across the British Isles and also Europe, you have confidence and
0:50:55 > 0:50:59supply in London and in Dublin, which is looking vulnerable,
0:50:59 > 0:51:03Germany, they don't have a government yet after that election
0:51:03 > 0:51:10and there is a lot of instability and Ashlee Brown nature to the
0:51:10 > 0:51:16political system across Europe and that exerts an effect internally for
0:51:16 > 0:51:20those in those nations but in our instance it makes things in relation
0:51:20 > 0:51:25to Brexit that much more difficult. The landscape is littered with more
0:51:25 > 0:51:27difficulties.How does the relationship change within the DUP
0:51:27 > 0:51:33Anne a leadership level if there is going to be no return in the short
0:51:33 > 0:51:37to medium term, it is clear there will be no return to devolution?
0:51:37 > 0:51:41Arlene Foster it is the party leader without portfolio in terms of not
0:51:41 > 0:51:45having a formal public role. Nigel Dodds becomes the real focus of
0:51:45 > 0:51:52power for the DUP as somebody who can wield enormous influence at
0:51:52 > 0:51:55Westminster, assuming the Tory government remains in place? And we
0:51:55 > 0:52:01should not presume anything! While that continues, he is a very
0:52:01 > 0:52:06powerful individual and the balance shifts towards those ten MPs.It has
0:52:06 > 0:52:12shifted eastwards for the DUP and southwards for Sinn Fein and you
0:52:12 > 0:52:15have this political distance between them that is mirrored by the
0:52:15 > 0:52:22geographic difference. We have a sense of that relationship over this
0:52:22 > 0:52:26statute of limitations issue for security forces, it seems as if most
0:52:26 > 0:52:32of the DUP MPs at Westminster seem to be disposed favourably to this
0:52:32 > 0:52:37idea whereas Arlene Foster herself in an interview yesterday evening
0:52:37 > 0:52:42sounded the warning bell about the possibility of this because it is
0:52:42 > 0:52:48not... If you put any two lawyers in a room, you will get three opinions.
0:52:48 > 0:52:55The same with economists. Actually, there could be a lot of unintended
0:52:55 > 0:52:58consequences if that statute of limitations is brought about
0:52:58 > 0:53:02because, for example, it might mean that people who colluded with
0:53:02 > 0:53:06security forces during the Troubles, loyalist paramilitaries, for
0:53:06 > 0:53:13example, could claim amnesty for being a defective estate agent and
0:53:13 > 0:53:18that would be, to say the least, extremely embarrassing.He will
0:53:18 > 0:53:22speak to you again at the end of the programme. We can head back to Mark
0:53:22 > 0:53:26Devenport who is at the conference venue and is joined by another DUP
0:53:26 > 0:53:35MP.It is the East Antrim MP, Sammy Wilson.The right honourable? That
0:53:35 > 0:53:42is right!A well-established member of the establishment! You have been
0:53:42 > 0:53:49effectively changed? Stage-managed? In past conferences one of the
0:53:49 > 0:53:53highlights was a no holds barred speech from Sammy Wilson giving that
0:53:53 > 0:53:59everybody! Lots of jokes. You have been relegated to the sofa?In my
0:53:59 > 0:54:03old age, perhaps that is the most appropriate place for me.Giving
0:54:03 > 0:54:08deference to my age. There were a couple of jokes, you picked up on
0:54:08 > 0:54:16Lord Kilclooney?I got a few of them in. The crowd always likes some
0:54:16 > 0:54:19jibes at your political opponents and I am always happy to oblige.We
0:54:19 > 0:54:27were listening to that clip of Nigel Dodds who pledged loyalty to Arlene
0:54:27 > 0:54:32Foster. She has had her troubles over the year, ups and downs. At one
0:54:32 > 0:54:35point you are thinking of throwing your hat into the ring when there
0:54:35 > 0:54:46was that they can see, are you 100% behind your?When I think of the
0:54:46 > 0:54:53year that Arlene Foster has put in, she has proved herself E.On all
0:54:53 > 0:54:56expectations as a real leader because as Nigel said, it is easy
0:54:56 > 0:54:59being a leader when the sun is shining in your face, it is more
0:54:59 > 0:55:05difficult when you face the wind and the icy showers of adversity and
0:55:05 > 0:55:09Arlene has been through that, she has been unfairly treated and
0:55:09 > 0:55:14unfairly vilified and she came through like a stalwart and she has
0:55:14 > 0:55:18won the admiration of the party and that was shown in the reaction there
0:55:18 > 0:55:25was to her today.We had the budget this week and as the former Finance
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Minister at Stormont, you welcomed the extra money for Northern Ireland
0:55:28 > 0:55:31as an important source of investment. Another ex-Stormont
0:55:31 > 0:55:37minister said it was a bad joke, there was nothing to add? If you
0:55:37 > 0:55:42parties get your act together, how will anyone believe this is for
0:55:42 > 0:55:46real? Given is completely different perspectives on the money and policy
0:55:46 > 0:55:53and Brexit?The bad joke is Mairtin O'Muilleoir, as a Finance Minister
0:55:53 > 0:55:59he did not bring forward any budget, he was too scared. He could not make
0:55:59 > 0:56:02the hard decisions required by a Finance Minister to bring forward
0:56:02 > 0:56:07the budget. I had known for years and you cannot satisfy everybody and
0:56:07 > 0:56:13the test of a Finance Minister and the test is to look at the resources
0:56:13 > 0:56:18and use that in the best way possible. He looked at what he had,
0:56:18 > 0:56:22he was scarred to offend somebody so he scuttled away. He should not
0:56:22 > 0:56:29really even be prepared to make any comment on what is a good or bad
0:56:29 > 0:56:34budget, and good or bad steel, because he was a bad Finance
0:56:34 > 0:56:38Minister and could not face up to the job that he had to do. As far as
0:56:38 > 0:56:43the budget is concerned, it will leave challenges for us. But we went
0:56:43 > 0:56:47in there and coming up to the budget we argued for a large number of
0:56:47 > 0:56:51things. And we got nearly all of those delivered. He argued that we
0:56:51 > 0:56:56needed more money from public spending in Northern Ireland, we
0:56:56 > 0:57:02have another £660 million. We to have the review of VAT for the
0:57:02 > 0:57:06hospitality industry to lift that industry and the review of air
0:57:06 > 0:57:09passenger duty and we have got that and by the next budget we will
0:57:09 > 0:57:15report back. We argued for more money for the lab or funds and under
0:57:15 > 0:57:20bigger issues for Universal Credit, for small businesses, not to have
0:57:20 > 0:57:25that VAT threshold lowered and few duty and beer duty, we argued for
0:57:25 > 0:57:28all of those things and were successful. That is a difference
0:57:28 > 0:57:34between us and Sinn Fein, were at the game in Westminster and they are
0:57:34 > 0:57:38scuttling away, afraid to make any decisions.Luckily, we don't have
0:57:38 > 0:57:42any ministers to work out where this extra money from the budget will be
0:57:42 > 0:57:48allocated. Is a time when you have to set a deadline? The end of the
0:57:48 > 0:57:55year, mid-December?For direct rule? As both Arlene Foster and Nigel made
0:57:55 > 0:57:59clear, our preference is to have the ministers making decisions but
0:57:59 > 0:58:03because of the structure here of Sinn Fein deciding to scuttle into
0:58:03 > 0:58:08the shadows and start making those decisions, not being prepared to,
0:58:08 > 0:58:11somebody has to, and we have been saying, there is another budget to
0:58:11 > 0:58:15be brought forward for next year and that will require political
0:58:15 > 0:58:20decisions Under-Secretary of State has to face reality, if we cannot
0:58:20 > 0:58:24get an Executive running here, we need direct rule and direct
0:58:24 > 0:58:28Wilderness Tours can decide on how the billion pounds that we have
0:58:28 > 0:58:34available is spent, the £660 million and other decisions.I was going to
0:58:34 > 0:58:39ask about Brexit but I also have my deadline!Back to the studio. A
0:58:39 > 0:58:46final word in a last-minute from Professor Rick Wilford. Interesting.
0:58:46 > 0:58:53We asked the parties to provide us with guests to talk to Mark.
0:58:53 > 0:58:58Interestingly, they selected three MPs.No local representatives? There
0:58:58 > 0:59:01were no MLAs, excluding Simon Hamilton, the architect of the
0:59:01 > 0:59:10election strategy. This is indicative of the way... The central
0:59:10 > 0:59:17gravity has shifted to Westminster. They do exert disproportionate
0:59:17 > 0:59:21influence given those crude numbers and they hold the balance and they
0:59:21 > 0:59:29are critical players and that might be emblematic of their thinking,
0:59:29 > 0:59:35which is, direct route is coming and we have to get ready.What was the
0:59:35 > 0:59:39big theme of Arlene Foster's speech? I don't think there was one, not any
0:59:39 > 0:59:47new idea, there were restatements of what we already knew and jibes at
0:59:47 > 0:59:51Sinn Fein and the assertion that they were the people's party, some
0:59:51 > 0:59:56people will find difficult to accept.Thank you. That is it. I
0:59:56 > 1:00:00will be back tomorrow with Sunday Politics at 11:35am and I will be
1:00:00 > 1:00:03talking to Arlene Foster. Goodbye.