Northern Ireland Assembly Election: 01/02/2017

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0:00:12 > 0:00:14TRAFFIC PASSES

0:00:30 > 0:00:33Are you OK? You look sleepy.

0:00:33 > 0:00:37I seem to have been asleep for a very, very long time.

0:00:37 > 0:00:39Would you like to come in and get a coffee?

0:00:39 > 0:00:40- Aye, OK.- Go on ahead.

0:00:40 > 0:00:42Come on.

0:00:46 > 0:00:48- Am I at some Unionist place?- Yes.

0:00:50 > 0:00:52How's David Trimble getting on as First Minister?

0:00:52 > 0:00:56Er...gosh, you have been asleep for a long time.

0:00:56 > 0:00:59I'm afraid David Trimble isn't First Minister any more.

0:00:59 > 0:01:00Why not?

0:01:00 > 0:01:03Well, the DUP didn't like him sharing power with the SDLP,

0:01:03 > 0:01:05so they pretty much forced him out.

0:01:05 > 0:01:08Gosh. Who took over?

0:01:08 > 0:01:10Ian Paisley and the DUP.

0:01:10 > 0:01:12I bet you they didn't share power with the SDLP.

0:01:12 > 0:01:14No, they shared power with Sinn Fein.

0:01:17 > 0:01:19They were nicknamed "The Chuckle Brothers".

0:01:19 > 0:01:20The Chuckle Brothers?

0:01:20 > 0:01:24They actually seemed to get along quite well together.

0:01:24 > 0:01:27Sadly, Ian Paisley passed away a few years ago.

0:01:27 > 0:01:29That's sad.

0:01:29 > 0:01:32Wasn't Peter Robinson his deputy?

0:01:32 > 0:01:35Surely he didn't share...?

0:01:35 > 0:01:38So, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness were in charge?

0:01:38 > 0:01:41Well, Peter Robinson's actually left elected politics.

0:01:41 > 0:01:44- What happened to him? - Phew...well...

0:01:44 > 0:01:46Erm...well...that's...that's...

0:01:46 > 0:01:48The thing is...it's...

0:01:48 > 0:01:49It-It's complicated.

0:01:49 > 0:01:51It's complicated.

0:01:51 > 0:01:54Anyway, after he left, we were promised a fresh start

0:01:54 > 0:01:55by Martin McGuinness and Arlene Foster.

0:01:55 > 0:01:59Arlene Foster? So, she's leading the Ulster Unionists.

0:01:59 > 0:02:02No. She left them in protest at the Belfast Agreement.

0:02:02 > 0:02:06And now she's First Minister and sharing power with Sinn Fein?

0:02:06 > 0:02:07More or less.

0:02:07 > 0:02:09You see, Martin McGuinness has just resigned -

0:02:09 > 0:02:12his resignation meant Arlene had to go, too.

0:02:12 > 0:02:13It's a joint office.

0:02:13 > 0:02:15So what happened to the Ulster Unionists?

0:02:15 > 0:02:17Well, Mike Nesbitt's leading them now.

0:02:17 > 0:02:18He's building a new, strong team.

0:02:18 > 0:02:20Mike Nesbitt?

0:02:20 > 0:02:21Isn't that the same guy that done

0:02:21 > 0:02:23the political interviews on the television?

0:02:23 > 0:02:24Yeah, well, the world changes,

0:02:24 > 0:02:27and he's recruiting people from all walks of life.

0:02:27 > 0:02:30I'm not surprised - sounds like Northern Ireland needs changing.

0:02:30 > 0:02:32You are absolutely right there.

0:02:33 > 0:02:36And it has to start at Stormont,

0:02:36 > 0:02:41with an executive populated by parties who WANT to share power.

0:02:41 > 0:02:44Then you can have a union and a unity of purpose

0:02:44 > 0:02:48for the common good for all the people of Northern Ireland.

0:02:48 > 0:02:50The people were promised a fresh start,

0:02:50 > 0:02:53which actually turned out to be a false start,

0:02:53 > 0:02:56and the problem is there's no chemistry between the leadership,

0:02:56 > 0:02:58and it's the same in any walk of life -

0:02:58 > 0:03:00politics, business, families.

0:03:00 > 0:03:03You'll get on better when you get along with people

0:03:03 > 0:03:06and yes, of course, particularly in politics,

0:03:06 > 0:03:07it can be a bit of a stretch.

0:03:07 > 0:03:09And do you know, if we don't do it,

0:03:09 > 0:03:13we are doomed to more of the same old, same old.

0:03:13 > 0:03:18- Like what?- Failure. There's been too much failure.

0:03:18 > 0:03:23Disappointments, debacles, scandals, false starts and broken promises.

0:03:23 > 0:03:26There's been incompetence, there's been arrogance,

0:03:26 > 0:03:29even allegations of corruption.

0:03:29 > 0:03:32And that's why we think it's time to change.

0:03:32 > 0:03:35We still educate our children separately,

0:03:35 > 0:03:37our health service is broken

0:03:37 > 0:03:39and we have a severely challenged economy

0:03:39 > 0:03:43and, on top of all that, one of the biggest financial scandals ever,

0:03:43 > 0:03:45over a wood-pellet renewable heating scheme.

0:03:45 > 0:03:48That's what your holding in your hand, by the way -

0:03:48 > 0:03:49you couldn't make it up.

0:03:49 > 0:03:51What do you mean?

0:03:51 > 0:03:54Well, the DUP-Sinn Fein executive

0:03:54 > 0:03:57were paying people £160

0:03:57 > 0:04:01for every £100 of those pellets that they burned.

0:04:01 > 0:04:05The projected overspend is half a billion pounds,

0:04:05 > 0:04:10or £85,000 a day.

0:04:10 > 0:04:13It's nicknamed "cash for ash".

0:04:13 > 0:04:14You're joking!

0:04:14 > 0:04:17And that's what brought the Assembly down?

0:04:17 > 0:04:20Well, it was the big straw that broke the camel's back.

0:04:21 > 0:04:25We cannot go on like this. But we don't have to.

0:04:25 > 0:04:28In the time it takes to pop down to the shops,

0:04:28 > 0:04:31you can become another vote for change,

0:04:31 > 0:04:33and that's what I would like you to do.

0:04:33 > 0:04:38So, on March 2nd, I am asking you to vote Ulster Unionist

0:04:38 > 0:04:40and I promise this -

0:04:40 > 0:04:45if enough of you do, I will deliver a new, dynamic Stormont.

0:04:45 > 0:04:47Thank you.