:00:21. > :00:31.Hello, and welcome to The Conference and it is the SDLP's big day as it
:00:32. > :00:34.meets in the city of Armagh, and welcome to viewers on the Parliament
:00:35. > :00:38.channel as we join an important weekend for the party. Right now,
:00:39. > :00:46.delegates are listening to, or will be listening to shortly, the MLA
:00:47. > :00:51.Alex Attwood. Shortly the party leader Alasdair McDonnell will
:00:52. > :00:56.deliver his keynote speech, which you can see here in full. Most of
:00:57. > :01:00.the morning has been held in closed session dealing with internal party
:01:01. > :01:03.matters. Last night, though, members heard Dolores Kelly launch a
:01:04. > :01:16.strongly worded attack on the DUP and Sinn Fein, accusing them of Rose
:01:17. > :01:20.incompetents, prejudice. Let's discuss those issues. It is a big
:01:21. > :01:25.day, obviously, for the party leader, Alasdair McDonnell. It is
:01:26. > :01:30.his third conference speech as leader. What does he need to do
:01:31. > :01:37.today? He needs to deliver a speech that has some very clear strap lines
:01:38. > :01:41.that the media can pick up on both in the evening news and in the
:01:42. > :01:45.Sunday papers. I will be listening carefully to see what policy pledges
:01:46. > :01:49.he makes, and I also think it will be an interesting speech in terms of
:01:50. > :01:53.the keywords that are used throughout. Previous speeches for
:01:54. > :01:56.the last three years have focused on criticisms of Sinn Fein and I will
:01:57. > :02:01.be interested to see today whether the party branches out beyond that
:02:02. > :02:05.and speaks to its electorate and future potential voters as to what
:02:06. > :02:09.the SDLP has two offer in and of itself, as opposed to the criticism
:02:10. > :02:16.of Sinn Fein. Alasdair McDonnell, when you talk to him, is quick to
:02:17. > :02:21.say he has been engaged in the not very public reorganisation and
:02:22. > :02:25.re-energising of the party itself, trying to grow the numbers of
:02:26. > :02:29.grassroots members, look for candidates for council elections in
:02:30. > :02:33.the future and so forth, and that tends to go unmentioned by the
:02:34. > :02:38.media, but this is the outward facing public side to his job today,
:02:39. > :02:42.and in the past he has not always managed to catch the mood of the
:02:43. > :02:46.moment, so it is a big day for him? It is, people are minded of the
:02:47. > :02:51.first speech he gave after his election, when he had problems with
:02:52. > :02:54.the autocue and was blinded by the lights, so there is a moment of
:02:55. > :02:59.holding 1's breath when he begins his speech to make sure everything
:03:00. > :03:06.goes the way you would expect it to go. But your point about the party
:03:07. > :03:10.organisation and the work you do not see at public level is really
:03:11. > :03:14.important. He took a lot of inspiration from Barack Obama's
:03:15. > :03:29.campaign in the US. Barack Obama said himself that 60 to 70% of a
:03:30. > :03:35.party's success is in talents -- that is where his talents lie. We
:03:36. > :03:40.were talking about the European candidate. It shows you that the
:03:41. > :03:47.party is beginning to crank into election mode. It will be important
:03:48. > :03:54.for the SDLP because Europe was a blank in the past, and that has
:03:55. > :04:00.gone? But it could be a key plank again in the future. Its strength
:04:01. > :04:02.was there, we have a lot of issues around European investment in
:04:03. > :04:06.Northern Ireland, the lack of drawdown that we have from some of
:04:07. > :04:10.the big EU funding programmes, Northern Ireland does not punch near
:04:11. > :04:14.its weight in terms of the money is secured from Europe, and the SDLP
:04:15. > :04:18.always played a strong, positive role in Europe and they might want
:04:19. > :04:22.to emphasise that at the election. Just before we hand over to our
:04:23. > :04:26.political editor, who is at the conference, it is interesting, when
:04:27. > :04:31.you look at the audience, you can pick out the individuals who are
:04:32. > :04:37.there, Eamon Gilmore is upfront, but the significant figures within the
:04:38. > :04:41.SDLP, but Colm McDevitt will be a loss for a lot of people. He
:04:42. > :04:47.resigned his seat over the summer and we understand he is not there?
:04:48. > :04:53.His loss to the party will be sorely felt over the activities at the
:04:54. > :04:56.conference, but he said a high benchmark for other people within
:04:57. > :05:01.politics in Northern Ireland by the stance that he took, and I think
:05:02. > :05:05.people in the SDLP are very proud of him and the role he has played, and
:05:06. > :05:10.the benchmarking asset for everyone else going forward. Thanks very much
:05:11. > :05:15.for now. Let's cross over to Armagh and hear from our political editor,
:05:16. > :05:18.Mark Devonport. We heard from Cathy what she is looking out for. Does
:05:19. > :05:23.that tie in with what you will be trying to spot during the course of
:05:24. > :05:29.Alasdair McDonnell's speech, which we think will last about 30 minutes
:05:30. > :05:33.or thereabouts? Pretty much so. It was well
:05:34. > :05:37.documented that a couple of years ago he had a nightmare first speech
:05:38. > :05:41.in terms of the leadership. The good thing if nothing can ever get that
:05:42. > :05:44.bad in terms of style so he is on the up, really, as long as he
:05:45. > :05:50.delivers a reasonable speech, and people will say, well, that has gone
:05:51. > :05:53.OK. There is an expectation here, you can probably see behind me
:05:54. > :05:57.Alasdair McDonnell making his way along the corridor. He will soon be
:05:58. > :06:02.going into the hall and there is an introduction happening at the moment
:06:03. > :06:06.from Alex Attwood, who is the European candidate, he has just been
:06:07. > :06:10.selected, as you said earlier on. You have scared them off, they have
:06:11. > :06:16.done a reverse! They spotted the camera and have gone back again!
:06:17. > :06:19.A quick reverse because they are slightly ahead of schedule, but he
:06:20. > :06:25.is just getting ready, as you can imagine. At the moment, the
:06:26. > :06:29.spotlight, as I said, is on Alex Attwood in the hall but soon it will
:06:30. > :06:33.be Alasdair McDonnell's moment. I am not sure there is a big issue to be
:06:34. > :06:37.decided at this conference. There has been a debate about whether the
:06:38. > :06:41.SDLP should go into opposition but last night Alasdair McDonnell pushed
:06:42. > :06:46.that back, saying he could not see a good argument for it and it might
:06:47. > :06:57.leave them feeling smug. OK, thanks very much indeed.
:06:58. > :07:01.Just a quick word from you, that moment was to risk a quick Alasdair
:07:02. > :07:05.McDonnell spotted the camera and went into reverse! He was a little
:07:06. > :07:09.bit ahead of time. Yes. No doubt they have smoothed a lot of this
:07:10. > :07:13.when he gets into the conference? This is the thing, he had a tough
:07:14. > :07:17.time a few years ago so they want to make sure everything runs as
:07:18. > :07:20.smoothly as possible. The mark of a great speech is many things, your
:07:21. > :07:32.audience, your entrance, the key messages you deliver, so this is
:07:33. > :07:34.part of the choreography to make sure it goes well.
:07:35. > :07:36.OK, thanks. As I said, a closed session of speeches this morning but
:07:37. > :07:39.Mark Devonport managed to talk earlier to one of the SDLP's newest
:07:40. > :07:41.MLAs. He asked him how he would sum up the mood of the conference this
:07:42. > :07:49.year. There are lots of people here, lots
:07:50. > :07:53.of young people, great debates and discussions. We have a good European
:07:54. > :07:57.candidate in Alex Attwood. The party is very much behind him to try to
:07:58. > :08:02.increase the SDLP vote and get a proper representative in Europe will
:08:03. > :08:06.stop isn't there a mixed message from the SDLP about what it stands
:08:07. > :08:11.for? On one hand you have Dolores Kelly saying the big partners in the
:08:12. > :08:13.executive are discredited and On The Other Hand Alasdair McDonnell
:08:14. > :08:21.sailing, we will stick in there, there is no point pulling out. We
:08:22. > :08:25.are there to try to ensure that people get the best possible result
:08:26. > :08:29.from government. We will not walk away to leave people with the DUP
:08:30. > :08:33.and Sinn Fein. They have not worked for people. That is why the
:08:34. > :08:36.executive is doing a fantastic job in standing up for the public of
:08:37. > :08:41.Northern Ireland and we are right behind him. Does that leave people
:08:42. > :08:45.thinking you are one foot in, one foot out? It is a strange system
:08:46. > :08:49.here, and we have to play that system. We are elected to tell the
:08:50. > :08:52.truth, we will not hide from the truth. We will not pretend
:08:53. > :08:57.everything is rosy in the garden. We will take responsibility seriously,
:08:58. > :09:03.that is what we have always done. You are on the Stormont environment
:09:04. > :09:11.committee. The last big dustup between the STL P and Sinn Fein and
:09:12. > :09:14.the DUP was about setting up economic terms. Could that come back
:09:15. > :09:20.to haunt you? They need to realise we were not alone in this. All of
:09:21. > :09:24.the experts thought we were right. It is about ensuring we have the
:09:25. > :09:29.best possible planning system for the people out there, that is why we
:09:30. > :09:41.are in government. Call Eastwood talking to our
:09:42. > :09:45.political editor earlier. Colm Eastwood very much part of the new
:09:46. > :09:48.faces of the party? Guess, and I have one of the other new faces of
:09:49. > :09:58.the party with me. Somebody who knows a lot about the workings of
:09:59. > :10:02.the cap macro executive. We always hear from party activists at this
:10:03. > :10:08.time, Colm Eastwood saying everything was very neat. How would
:10:09. > :10:11.you sum up how things are? There is a lot of energy around the
:10:12. > :10:15.conference. The vision is around hope and ambition and when you talk
:10:16. > :10:18.to people, that is what they want. It has been a traumatic week in some
:10:19. > :10:27.ways with the memories of the Disappeared coming up. Do you think
:10:28. > :10:30.this might be the STL P's opportunity? We would not like to
:10:31. > :10:34.take opportunities out of victims. It is up to Sinn Fein whether they
:10:35. > :10:38.want to tell the truth or not but the SDLP will make sure that victims
:10:39. > :10:42.have their voices heard. A bit of a debate about opposition, we know
:10:43. > :10:46.that Dolores Kelly, deputy leader, thinks the option should be explored
:10:47. > :10:51.in a serious way, but your party leader, Alasdair McDonnell, does not
:10:52. > :10:56.seem too keen. Where do you stand? People don't want us to walk away,
:10:57. > :11:00.they want the SDLP in the executive, telling the truth, trying to get the
:11:01. > :11:07.right odysseys and fight for people. You get to see first,
:11:08. > :11:14.because of your work, how things are working in the Executive. I have had
:11:15. > :11:18.a couple of Executive meetings and it is frustrating, to say the least.
:11:19. > :11:23.We would like to see more being done. But we will be pushing the
:11:24. > :11:31.SDLP's policies through the executive and through the Executive.
:11:32. > :11:40.Coming up to the anniversary of that controversial flag vote in Belfast.
:11:41. > :11:44.How hopeful are you that the process will produce new ideas to make a
:11:45. > :11:49.difference when it comes to those issues? When I talking to people,
:11:50. > :11:54.they are genuinely sceptical, and you can understand why, because they
:11:55. > :11:59.feel hurt with the pain of the flags, parades, protests, but I hope
:12:00. > :12:04.that we can ensure that people are put first, and not party politics.
:12:05. > :12:07.When it comes to things like flags, you are worlds apart from the
:12:08. > :12:12.unionists and there is quite a distance between the Alliance and
:12:13. > :12:18.the Unionists and what they might contemplate. That is why we have to
:12:19. > :12:21.sit down and talk it out, there will be difficult decisions but it is
:12:22. > :12:24.part of the reconciliation process. There has been some speculation in
:12:25. > :12:28.relation to planning, I was discussing it with Colm Eastwood,
:12:29. > :12:31.that the DUP might be keen to move planning powers to one of their
:12:32. > :12:37.ministries. Do you think that is realistic, are you fearful that Mark
:12:38. > :12:47.Duggan will be stripped of his responsibilities? No, we are not
:12:48. > :12:51.fearful. Mark took a stand, he made it clear he will not be moving the
:12:52. > :12:57.bill now or in the future. Is there a possibility they might bring it
:12:58. > :13:00.back... I should explain to the viewers these proposals would have
:13:01. > :13:05.limited the right to a judicial review for people objecting to
:13:06. > :13:08.planning but also setting up special economic planning zones which the
:13:09. > :13:15.DUP say are important for the future. The difficulty is there is
:13:16. > :13:18.already simplified planning zones, economically significant zones, it
:13:19. > :13:24.is already there, so it is difficult to see, other than bringing it under
:13:25. > :13:29.the DFM, what would be different. Would it be a breadline issue that
:13:30. > :13:36.this might be the thing that breaks the camel's back as far as staying
:13:37. > :13:42.in the Executive? Lets just wait and see. Thank you for joining us.
:13:43. > :13:46.That is the view from one of the, if not new faces, one of the younger
:13:47. > :13:50.faces within the SDLP. I keep very much indeed. That was
:13:51. > :13:57.Mark Davenport lie that the conference in Armagh this morning.
:13:58. > :14:01.Kathy is still with me. Listening to that, the party is certainly making
:14:02. > :14:07.an effort to bring those fresh faces to the fore, Colm Eastwood, I don't
:14:08. > :14:13.know if Alex Attwood would regard himself as a young face, maybe more
:14:14. > :14:18.of our vintage! But he is one of the younger members. A lot of the more
:14:19. > :14:22.established ministers still there. He has got to pay the use things
:14:23. > :14:29.very strongly. Yes, and analysis of the average age of SDLP MLAs in the
:14:30. > :14:33.assembly shows the average age around 53. By contrast in Sinn Fein
:14:34. > :14:38.it is in the late 40s, so people will be paying attention to those
:14:39. > :14:41.sorts of nuances. I think the council elections next year will be
:14:42. > :14:45.the test for whether or not these young faces and new blood in the
:14:46. > :14:52.party will come to the fore and get elected. Alasdair has said that he
:14:53. > :14:58.is expecting 80 seats in the council elections and he will see any less
:14:59. > :15:04.than 70 as a failure. 70 seats pro rata would work out at about where
:15:05. > :15:09.they were in 2007, so that is a big ask of any political party to make
:15:10. > :15:13.good those sorts of games. He really would be better focusing on getting
:15:14. > :15:18.back to where they were in 2011, rather than going back another
:15:19. > :15:22.electoral sector. You need to have a target and be optimistic and inspire
:15:23. > :15:25.people but at the same time you can make yourself a hostage to fortune
:15:26. > :15:29.if you say, I will be disappointed with fewer than 70 seats and then
:15:30. > :15:45.you get fewer than 70 seats and people like you and I say it has
:15:46. > :15:48.been a failure. It is difficult to did your way back out of that hole,
:15:49. > :15:51.isn't it? Exactly, it would not be the approach I would take, I would
:15:52. > :15:54.focus on the use of the party coming forward and not necessarily put a
:15:55. > :15:56.figure on that because the slide in vote share has been so pronounced
:15:57. > :15:59.since John Hume's departure that to read game and we group from that
:16:00. > :16:10.will be a much more incremental way than Alasdair realises. He is
:16:11. > :16:15.getting a standing ovation, Alex Attwood. Presumably that was because
:16:16. > :16:18.he has been announced as the candidate for the European elections
:16:19. > :16:26.which are coming up early next summer. He has always been popular
:16:27. > :16:32.in the party. Certainly his profile was raised during his time in the
:16:33. > :16:37.Executive. Because his profile was so large, it might not have done any
:16:38. > :16:40.harm to announce him as the European candidate at the party conference
:16:41. > :16:44.last year. They talked about the European election last year but did
:16:45. > :16:49.not name the candidate and I think that naming him then would have
:16:50. > :16:54.raised his profile even further and given him greater gravitas to talk
:16:55. > :16:58.about European issues from last year. I think that was a mistake and
:16:59. > :17:04.they should have named him because everyone knew he would be the
:17:05. > :17:08.candidate. No great surprise. It will be a real battle and a real
:17:09. > :17:14.test, because last night we had the announcement that the DUP has
:17:15. > :17:18.confirmed Diane Dodds as its candidate. Confirmation that there
:17:19. > :17:25.may be a second DUP candidate, that is still up for discussion. That
:17:26. > :17:31.decision, if it is to go for a second candidate, could have a
:17:32. > :17:38.bearing on the other parties. There is a possible candidate from a 21.
:17:39. > :17:43.The shifting sands around this make this interesting. It will be one of
:17:44. > :17:50.the best elections in a number of years. That was Alex Attwood
:17:51. > :17:57.announcing the arrival of Alasdair McDonnell. There he is, shaking
:17:58. > :18:05.hands with party members. He is accompanied by his wife. She is
:18:06. > :18:11.wearing a pink dress. He is wearing a matching tie. He is being embraced
:18:12. > :18:18.by party members. As you would expect. I'm imagining that is one of
:18:19. > :18:24.his little daughters. She has got a special her style for the day. That
:18:25. > :18:28.maybe a picture we will see in the newspapers tomorrow. She looks
:18:29. > :18:35.pleased. He talks about his children are locked and his family are very
:18:36. > :18:38.important to him. That is endearingly for any political
:18:39. > :18:42.leader. You will remember David Cameron talking about his son and
:18:43. > :18:49.his illness. Those things are really important. A warm embrace for Alex
:18:50. > :19:09.Attwood. Alasdair McDonnell at the podium, let us hear what he has to
:19:10. > :19:13.say. I would like to thank all my friends, distinguished guests,
:19:14. > :19:19.delegates and ladies and gentlemen here this morning. We in the SDLP
:19:20. > :19:24.are very proud to be the party of real hope and genuine ambition for
:19:25. > :19:32.the island of Ireland and for all our people. We believe that the SDLP
:19:33. > :19:38.should -- our unique vision for the future makes us different. Our hopes
:19:39. > :19:41.and ambitions match the pressing needs of ordinary hard-working
:19:42. > :19:48.people. We are privileged to represent at every level and with
:19:49. > :19:53.your support, we will be able to represent them again. So at this
:19:54. > :19:58.point, I would like to congratulate, warmly congratulate,
:19:59. > :20:15.Alex Attwood, our candidate for the European election. APPLAUSE. Alex
:20:16. > :20:22.has served us brilliantly as a minister and he is well qualified to
:20:23. > :20:38.take back John Hume's seat and put a robust pro European SDLP voice back
:20:39. > :20:41.in Brussels. APPLAUSE. The next elections will give everyone an
:20:42. > :20:47.opportunity to tell the DUP, tell Sinn Fein, what they think of the
:20:48. > :20:52.per record in government and the failure to deliver any significant
:20:53. > :20:57.change for the better and as we approach those elections, I recall
:20:58. > :21:05.that the delay a moment, two years ago, I pledged to spearhead the
:21:06. > :21:11.reorganisation, rebuilding and regeneration of our party. I under
:21:12. > :21:16.lighted to tell you that today, from Armagh to Antrim, Belfast to the
:21:17. > :21:22.late and from Downpatrick to Derry, and all the places in between, the
:21:23. > :21:26.SDLP has been vigorously renewed and re-energised and we have plenty of
:21:27. > :21:32.evidence here this weekend. We are ready for the electoral battle. With
:21:33. > :21:36.a little more help from each of you, we will confound the critics and
:21:37. > :21:43.baffle the cynics. To all of you, our members, activists and
:21:44. > :21:48.supporters, who backed us through thick and then, I send out a
:21:49. > :21:52.heartfelt thank you and I say thank you to our retiring councillors who
:21:53. > :21:56.have served their communities so well. They have served with
:21:57. > :22:01.commitment and passion. We commend your incredible legacies to our new
:22:02. > :22:06.councillors and candidates. Two are many new activists, and new council
:22:07. > :22:11.candidates, who are coming forward and again there are many of them
:22:12. > :22:29.here this weekend, these people are eager to play their part in a newly
:22:30. > :22:33.charged SDLP. APPLAUSE. To those people who are still thinking about
:22:34. > :22:43.how they should vote, particularly new first-time voters, I say to them
:22:44. > :22:48.have a good look at the SDLP and what we stand for. If you want a
:22:49. > :22:51.party that it's open and honest and inclusive, and believes that give
:22:52. > :23:02.and take as a principle, and not just a tactic, you have found your
:23:03. > :23:07.vote. And what hope it is, at its heart, our men and women, the true
:23:08. > :23:17.giants of Irish politics. John Hume, Seamus Mallon, Eddie McGrady,
:23:18. > :23:23.Joel Hendron. We are there successors and the carrier of their
:23:24. > :23:28.hopes and ambitions. At this stage, I would like to repeat the message I
:23:29. > :23:33.delivered to Conference at the opening. I want to tell you some sad
:23:34. > :23:42.news. Three days ago, I stood at the side of Eddie McGrady's bed. And
:23:43. > :23:46.Eddie is very low. He was not at low that he said he wanted me to convey
:23:47. > :23:52.a message to Conference to each of you. First of all, he apologised
:23:53. > :24:07.that he was not able to be here, but he says he was not in a fit state.
:24:08. > :24:15.He has barely missed a conference. He should be allowed to miss one.
:24:16. > :24:20.APPLAUSE. He wanted to make sure that I delivered his good wishes and
:24:21. > :24:27.his hopes that this conference was a great success. Eddie went further.
:24:28. > :24:33.He said he had a message for our young people, all of the new people
:24:34. > :24:47.who are here. He wanted me to tell them from him, but John Hume and
:24:48. > :24:54.serous -- and Seamus Mallon, and others, set out in 1970 with a
:24:55. > :24:59.massive challenge before them. But with the Good Friday Agreement, they
:25:00. > :25:08.have succeeded beyond the greatest dreams. And he said, yourself and
:25:09. > :25:11.Margaret and Mark and the various MLAs can reorganise and reposition
:25:12. > :25:18.the party and things are going reasonably well. He says the real
:25:19. > :25:22.challenge falls to today's 25 and 30-year-olds who must pick up the
:25:23. > :25:27.gauntlet and rise to the challenge of finishing the job. He said that
:25:28. > :25:36.job was creating a new Ireland, prosperous and peaceful. He said, do
:25:37. > :25:40.not worry about me. Do not mourn for me, do not cry for me, just get out
:25:41. > :26:08.there and finish the job. APPLAUSE. Conference, I don't mind telling
:26:09. > :26:15.you, that I left his bedside a little bit ship up. All with the
:26:16. > :26:19.business today and take Eddie's orders. Day in and day out, I
:26:20. > :26:24.received a clear message when I speak to ordinary people in their
:26:25. > :26:28.homes or on the streets or speak to them at a GAA match. Different
:26:29. > :26:35.people may use different words, but they say it the same, the message is
:26:36. > :26:42.very clear. The message is that they feel let down. In fact, they feel
:26:43. > :26:46.badly let down. Yes, for a lot of people out there, the DUP and Sinn
:26:47. > :26:51.Fein are the parties of disappointment, false promise, of
:26:52. > :26:56.pure government and bad politics and of no results. People feel they have
:26:57. > :27:03.had their chance and they have failed the test and no one knows
:27:04. > :27:18.that better than our new Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan. APPLAUSE.
:27:19. > :27:23.Mark had the courage to face up to their shenanigans and pull the plug
:27:24. > :27:28.on the toxic planning Bill. No one knows that better than Alex
:27:29. > :27:33.Attwood, who prepared the way for Mark H Durkan in that department. Or
:27:34. > :27:37.John Dallat who is leading the fight to retain the jobs of the driver and
:27:38. > :27:44.vehicle licensing workers in Coleraine or Patsy McGlone, who
:27:45. > :27:47.holds government agencies and big banks to account or Sean Rogers who
:27:48. > :27:53.sits on the Public Accounts Committee and poses tough questions.
:27:54. > :27:57.Or Dolores Kelly and Alden McGuinness who are fighting to
:27:58. > :28:02.ensure that policing serves the people and is not compromised by an
:28:03. > :28:13.unaccountable national crime agency. AAPLAUSE.
:28:14. > :28:45.Or Margaret Ritchie who is defending our rural communities. SPEAKS IRISH.
:28:46. > :29:00.APPLAUSE. The public can clearly see that SDLP ministers, MLAs and MPs do
:29:01. > :29:05.make a difference in challenging and facing down the bad politics and bad
:29:06. > :29:08.government of the DUP and Sinn Fein. We will never abdicate our
:29:09. > :29:14.responsibility to go the extra mile, to stretch ourselves, to work
:29:15. > :29:18.with others and to rebuild your faith in good politics that delivers
:29:19. > :29:25.real opportunities for all our people. Politics have to deliver
:29:26. > :29:30.results for everybody, particularly ordinary hard-working families and I
:29:31. > :29:36.believe that our core SDLP values are central to rebuilding faith in
:29:37. > :29:41.politics, a trust in politicians and delivering worthwhile benefits.
:29:42. > :29:47.These core values are simple. Reconciliation, social justice and
:29:48. > :29:53.prosperity. These are not abstract concepts. They define the SDLP, they
:29:54. > :29:59.define our objectives and whole approach to politics. After 30 years
:30:00. > :30:04.of murder, abuse and suffering, our battered society is crying out for
:30:05. > :30:07.healing and reconciliation. That is reconciliation, not just within
:30:08. > :30:13.Northern Ireland, but between the north and the South and between
:30:14. > :30:16.Ireland and Britain. Our vulnerable people should be protected, our
:30:17. > :30:20.families should have accessed to decent health care and should not
:30:21. > :30:24.have to wait weeks for a medical appointment and that our old people
:30:25. > :30:30.feel secure in their homes and on the street. Prosperity means
:30:31. > :30:34.worthwhile employment opportunities and real sustainable jobs that give
:30:35. > :30:40.hard-working families financial security and the ability to plan for
:30:41. > :30:45.the future. Conference, economic prosperity is vital for social
:30:46. > :30:50.stability. It is the only way we can on to pen the reconciliation and
:30:51. > :30:55.social justice that will in turn anger in the long-term our hard-won
:30:56. > :31:01.peace in a new North and a new Ireland. Reconciliation, the Good
:31:02. > :31:07.Friday Agreement overwhelmingly endorsed by all the people of this
:31:08. > :31:11.island, bound us to firmly dedicate ourselves to the achievement of
:31:12. > :31:17.reconciliation, tolerance and mutual trust. These values have the
:31:18. > :31:22.potential to transform the whole of society in this island and propel us
:31:23. > :31:26.out of the current political, social paralysis. Politics has been to
:31:27. > :31:30.graded in the past year, but we cannot allow that to continue.
:31:31. > :31:36.Northern Ireland must function for its people. Politically and
:31:37. > :31:43.economically and it must be seen to function, delivering a better living
:31:44. > :31:49.for all of our people. Delivering a better living demands that both
:31:50. > :31:53.parts of the island grow closer in social harmony and economic
:31:54. > :31:57.operation, building our dynamic new island with ever closer links to
:31:58. > :32:07.Britain and Europe, long envisaged by John Hume, and all of those
:32:08. > :32:11.founded the party and lead us to this stage. We still have a long way
:32:12. > :32:16.to go to achieve any substantial measure reconciliation. The many
:32:17. > :32:20.broken promises show the disappointing failure of the DUP and
:32:21. > :32:28.Sinn Fein. Including the failure to get to grips with a shared future. A
:32:29. > :32:30.failure to do anything about the coalition collusion issues. A
:32:31. > :32:40.failure to do anything about real power-sharing. In local councils,
:32:41. > :32:43.the Unionists have been frustrating power-sharing and inclusivity at
:32:44. > :32:49.every opportunity and it is now high time that the DUP clarified
:32:50. > :32:51.exactly, without ifs, buts and maybes, where they stand on
:32:52. > :33:04.meaningful partnership in local government.
:33:05. > :33:08.APPLAUSE And, Conference, Sinn Fein has stood
:33:09. > :33:14.back and allowed the DUP to slow down the evolution of the all
:33:15. > :33:17.Ireland cross-border bodies and hollow out the Good Friday
:33:18. > :33:23.agreement. As Irish nationalists, quite simply,
:33:24. > :33:28.we say this is totally unacceptable. The DUP and Sinn Fein have together
:33:29. > :33:34.turned their backs on the essential inclusivity and sharing on which the
:33:35. > :33:38.Good Friday agreement was built. I want now to serve notice on Peter
:33:39. > :33:45.Robinson and Martin McGuinness that the SDLP will continue pressing to
:33:46. > :33:48.advance reconciliation and ensure the views of ordinary people will be
:33:49. > :34:04.heard at the heart of government with the reconvening of the Civic
:34:05. > :34:09.Forum. We want to warmly welcome the support that you offered on this
:34:10. > :34:17.issue and gave in your recent speech in Cambridge, you have no idea how
:34:18. > :34:23.much we appreciate it. We have made some progress on reconciliation on a
:34:24. > :34:29.number of fronts, including policing, which Laura Scally is
:34:30. > :34:32.tackling pretty well and I want to congratulate her on her powerful
:34:33. > :34:45.speech -- which Dolores Kelly is tackling. Despite the little bits of
:34:46. > :34:51.progress, overall our politics has soured. We are all paying a high
:34:52. > :34:56.price for failing to live up to the hopes and ambitions that people out
:34:57. > :35:00.there had for the Good Friday Agreement. In the last year, the
:35:01. > :35:06.North has not moved forward politically or economically as we
:35:07. > :35:11.would have hoped or build anything on the progress made in previous
:35:12. > :35:14.times. For much of the past year, riots and mayhem have dominated the
:35:15. > :35:23.headlines. Hundreds of courageous PSN I officers holding the line have
:35:24. > :35:28.been injured. The police have been stretched to breaking point and the
:35:29. > :35:35.economy of Belfast severely damaged. Delegates, I want to touch on the
:35:36. > :35:40.flags issue and, as Irish nationalists, we make no apology for
:35:41. > :35:45.regarding the true colour as our national flag. # read the
:35:46. > :35:57.tricolour. And we believe that the tricolour
:35:58. > :35:59.and emblems and symbols and language of Irish nature should be given
:36:00. > :36:05.parity of esteem. Last December Belfast City Council arrived at a
:36:06. > :36:12.sensible compromise to fly the union flag on designated days, a decision
:36:13. > :36:19.we supported. It is unfortunate that the Unionists cannot do compromise.
:36:20. > :36:26.I want to turn briefly to the talks. You know that the negotiations, and
:36:27. > :36:30.some of the details were outlined earlier, are well underway. The
:36:31. > :36:35.flying flags is one of the issues that will be addressed along with
:36:36. > :36:44.parading. I am pleased, and at this stage I want to congratulate Alec
:36:45. > :36:49.and Joe bawdy skill they have shown over the last month. We all wish
:36:50. > :36:53.them well with their efforts and pledge our full support to them in
:36:54. > :37:00.the period ahead. APPLAUSE
:37:01. > :37:08.But I think it is important that, when we do that, we have to make a
:37:09. > :37:13.few things clear about this talks process. The SDLP's goal is a
:37:14. > :37:20.sustainable, comprehensive agreement on flags, parading and dealing with
:37:21. > :37:24.the past. And along with that any other unfinished business that comes
:37:25. > :37:27.up. This will enable us to fairly reflect the new political realities
:37:28. > :37:33.that have emerged since Good Friday, 1998. The SDLP wants other parties
:37:34. > :37:41.to work with us to address the past on an ethical basis. It is more than
:37:42. > :37:44.just truth recovery, acknowledgement and accountability. The needs of
:37:45. > :37:50.victims and survivors must have priority in this process. Especially
:37:51. > :37:57.the voices of those victims that have been silent for too long, such
:37:58. > :38:02.as the families of the Disappeared, profile so movingly in a recent
:38:03. > :38:08.documentary. And I want to commend Oliver Rigby and his family, and all
:38:09. > :38:12.of the other families, which is why I am today wearing the forget-me-not
:38:13. > :38:16.badge. For us, this is a critical part of creating a reconciled
:38:17. > :38:23.society and a society at peace with itself. Central to that healing
:38:24. > :38:28.process is on the brink the truth about all the killings and securing
:38:29. > :38:33.anthers and a measure of justice for all of the victims and survivors.
:38:34. > :38:40.That includes getting to the truth about the appalling collusion with
:38:41. > :38:47.loyalist murder gangs that takes on a more sinister character with every
:38:48. > :38:51.disclosure. That collusion is truly shocking but never, ever justified a
:38:52. > :38:58.single IRA atrocity. The IRA must come clean and tell the truth as
:38:59. > :39:04.well. And no IRA atrocity can ever justify Unionist politicians
:39:05. > :39:11.dismissing pollution. Such talk is insulting the victims, survivors,
:39:12. > :39:15.and, indeed, is insulting to the hundreds of honest officers who
:39:16. > :39:22.hunted down loyalist killers as well as IRA killers and brought them to
:39:23. > :39:30.justice. Conference, I want to tell you that we are delighted to it, to
:39:31. > :39:41.have with us Denise Fox, daughter of Billy Mullen, an SDLP store Ward,
:39:42. > :39:45.who was murdered by a gang in 1975. We are also joined by the author of
:39:46. > :39:53.a powerful new book on this solemn chapter in our history. Both women
:39:54. > :40:00.will have an opportunity to speak to us later. On parading, it is a
:40:01. > :40:12.fundamental requirement of the SDLP that we -- where disputes occur
:40:13. > :40:15.there must be a body removed from politics and political parties with
:40:16. > :40:19.the power to make determinations and decisions with the force of law and
:40:20. > :40:23.that sounds like a parades commission to me. It is the SDLP's
:40:24. > :40:28.view that in public spaces and public buildings there must be a
:40:29. > :40:33.comprehensive approach to addressing matters of elliptical and cultural
:40:34. > :40:39.identity that deals with all aspects, emblems, symbols,
:40:40. > :40:45.languages, memorabilia, and we insist that the British and Irish
:40:46. > :40:51.governments must be co-guarantors of any agreement that emerges from the
:40:52. > :40:58.talks. APPLAUSE
:40:59. > :41:09.They must be fully engaged in any outcomes to ensure the system should
:41:10. > :41:14.-- the solution is sustained. Today, as we reflect on the past, we might
:41:15. > :41:17.remember this is the eve of Remembrance Sunday and our thoughts
:41:18. > :41:21.are with those who fell in both world wars, the great wars, and with
:41:22. > :41:27.their families, especially those from all traditions on the island of
:41:28. > :41:31.Ireland. In the next ten years we will have many historical events to
:41:32. > :41:40.commemorate all stop is it too much to hope that all of us might reflect
:41:41. > :41:43.on the wonderful example of reconciliation by President Mary
:41:44. > :41:47.McAleese and Queen Elizabeth in the historic state visit to a half years
:41:48. > :41:52.ago and that, maybe, over the next ten years, on our journey of healing
:41:53. > :41:55.and reconciliation, the various commemorations can help all our
:41:56. > :42:00.people towards a better respect and mutual understanding of each
:42:01. > :42:08.other's traditions? But, in dealing with the past in a meaningful way,
:42:09. > :42:12.we have to ensure that there is a secure and stable future. That
:42:13. > :42:17.future can only be pinned with social justice at its core, and that
:42:18. > :42:23.social justice demands many things others. It demands taking care of
:42:24. > :42:27.the needy and disadvantage, and those too weak to defend
:42:28. > :42:32.themselves. Conference, I have to tell you, most of you already know,
:42:33. > :42:39.but I will repeat it, that much of today's hardship is the effect of
:42:40. > :42:43.the Tory welfare cuts and the total failure of the DUP and Sinn Fein to
:42:44. > :42:48.use the machinery of devolution to protect our most vulnerable people.
:42:49. > :42:52.The SDLP has the hope and ambition and determination for a much better
:42:53. > :42:59.way, and we will fight the savagery of the welfare cuts to the very end.
:43:00. > :43:03.APPLAUSE .
:43:04. > :43:12.But social justice also demands a health service where people have
:43:13. > :43:19.speedy access to treatment when they need it. After 30 years as a GP, I
:43:20. > :43:23.know the anxiety caused when people cannot access a GP appointment, and
:43:24. > :43:27.the cost, financial and personal, when people have to go to AMD when
:43:28. > :43:32.they feel they have no alternative. In the health service, things appear
:43:33. > :43:36.to be going from bad to worse. The number of people waiting for a first
:43:37. > :43:41.hospital appointment at the end of June was 115,000. That is totally,
:43:42. > :43:44.totally unacceptable, and the SDLP believe that a commission of health
:43:45. > :43:50.care experts should be established right away in order to examine why
:43:51. > :43:54.our hospitals cannot function better and meet the reasonable needs and
:43:55. > :43:59.demands of people, and how front line staff can be better supported
:44:00. > :44:04.to do their jobs. In our vision, social justice demands personal care
:44:05. > :44:06.packages that meet the needs of evil rubble elderly, providing them with
:44:07. > :44:16.safety and security for the future, and we must avoid the fiasco of the
:44:17. > :44:27.care homes last May, went vulnerable people were left frightened. Social
:44:28. > :44:30.justice also demands access to affordable housing, particularly for
:44:31. > :44:35.young people who cannot afford a mortgage, and a Housing executive
:44:36. > :44:38.that is free from ministerial involvement. There are many people
:44:39. > :44:45.here who remember the role housing paid in early politics and the
:44:46. > :44:50.formation of the party and I want to warn that our spokesperson on social
:44:51. > :44:54.development, Dolores Kelly, our MLAs and our minister will fight every
:44:55. > :44:57.inch of the way to protect the operational independence of the
:44:58. > :45:12.Housing executive. APPLAUSE The Housing Executive is
:45:13. > :45:17.one of our greatest achievements and we will fight every inch of the way
:45:18. > :45:26.to retain and reform it. APPLAUSE.
:45:27. > :45:32.But Conference, I want to remind you that social justice cannot flourish
:45:33. > :45:37.without prosperity. We in the SDLP believe that the North requires a
:45:38. > :45:42.formal prosperity process, pursued with the same ambition as the peace
:45:43. > :45:48.process. 15 years ago, on the back of the Good Friday Agreement, many
:45:49. > :45:52.of us expected a prosperity process, to be constructed to underpin the
:45:53. > :45:57.peace process and the Good Friday Agreement. Yes, there were promises,
:45:58. > :46:04.yes hopes were raised, but hopes were dashed. We need to go back
:46:05. > :46:07.there and I am now calling on the First Minister, Deputy First
:46:08. > :46:12.Minister, the Executive and the British and Irish governments, even
:46:13. > :46:15.at this late stage to do all that is necessary to establish a meaningful
:46:16. > :46:22.prosperity process in the North as a matter of urgency. We needed this to
:46:23. > :46:26.underpin the peace and lay the foundations to create the well-paid
:46:27. > :46:28.jobs that would banish the spectre of youth unemployment and
:46:29. > :46:33.immigration which has brought so much heartbreak to many of the
:46:34. > :46:39.communities. Upper asperity process that would in time crucially permit
:46:40. > :46:42.the North to stand on its own feet, pay its own way and play its
:46:43. > :46:55.rightful role in the development of a buoyant, all Irelands economy.
:46:56. > :46:58.APPLAUSE. In the SDLP view, economic
:46:59. > :47:01.conference are fine and we are always hopeful that some new
:47:02. > :47:06.opportunities will emerge from the most recent effort, but we need a
:47:07. > :47:11.wider, coherent long-term strategy that we can all sign up to and
:47:12. > :47:16.invest our energies, whether we are politicians, business people, social
:47:17. > :47:20.enterprise promoters or entrepreneurs. We in the SDLP do not
:47:21. > :47:25.dismiss the progress that has been made and of course, we welcome the
:47:26. > :47:30.recent fall in unemployment, but we want much greater progress. We want
:47:31. > :47:36.to see it now, not in 20 years time and that means the DUP and Sinn Fein
:47:37. > :47:39.in government, seeing beyond their short-term party political
:47:40. > :47:45.self-interest and their schoolboy power plays. For example, they
:47:46. > :47:51.cannot even agree to moving the Maze Long Kesh project forward with the
:47:52. > :47:55.significant number of jobs which would flow from that. They cannot
:47:56. > :48:00.agree to maximise the one plan in Derry, the deputies First
:48:01. > :48:05.Minister's home city. They cannot agree how to manage a social
:48:06. > :48:08.investment fund targeted on the most needy and honourable. That does not
:48:09. > :48:25.and still much confidence in any of us.
:48:26. > :48:29.APPLAUSE. The SDLP maintains great hopes and
:48:30. > :48:33.even greater ambitions for our people. We are confident of the
:48:34. > :48:38.tremendous economic potential that exists out there in our
:48:39. > :48:43.well-educated young people, but that potential must be harnessed, focused
:48:44. > :48:47.and actively managed to success. That means joined up government and
:48:48. > :48:52.a better collaboration between our government departments. Such as
:48:53. > :48:56.enterprise trade and investment, education and of course employment
:48:57. > :48:59.and learning. That means an education system that ensures our
:49:00. > :49:04.young people have the necessary skill set to secure the well played
:49:05. > :49:08.high-tech jobs flowing from inward investment projects and the
:49:09. > :49:13.hoped-for reduction in corporation tax. The SDLP is very ambitious but
:49:14. > :49:18.are young people should be better able to compete with young people in
:49:19. > :49:23.the south who are able to accessed quality jobs and earn good salaries
:49:24. > :49:29.with new technology multinationals such as Google, Twitter, Microsoft
:49:30. > :49:32.and PayPal. For us to remain competitive in the global economy
:49:33. > :49:38.that has emerged, our education system must rip remain in the think,
:49:39. > :49:45.must keep adapting rapidly to the changing needs of employers and
:49:46. > :49:51.employees. It is difficult to do that at the best of times, but if
:49:52. > :49:54.there is any more dithering and failure from the DUP and Sinn Fein,
:49:55. > :49:59.it will make it more difficult for us to be competitive in the future
:50:00. > :50:02.and get the jobs we need. Today, they are failing to keep their
:50:03. > :50:09.promise to have an educational skills authority in place by the end
:50:10. > :50:15.of the year. 11 years after after Martin McGuiness announced the end
:50:16. > :50:21.of the 11 plus, post primary transition is in a state of chaos.
:50:22. > :50:30.This very day thousands of children are sitting the first of four or
:50:31. > :50:33.five transfer tests in order to transfer to secondary schools. How
:50:34. > :50:42.is that for progress? We replaced one test with four or five tests. 11
:50:43. > :50:50.years later. Conference, in talking about education, science is a high
:50:51. > :50:53.priority. In adapting to change, this means prioritising the crucial
:50:54. > :51:00.subjects, science, technology, engineering, and map attics. The
:51:01. > :51:17.subjects are critical to meeting the future demands of high-tech
:51:18. > :51:21.industries -- mathematics. Experts claim that these sectors could
:51:22. > :51:27.create up to 20,000 new jobs in the north by 2017. Integral to making
:51:28. > :51:32.our education system fit for purpose is developing our research and
:51:33. > :51:38.development capacity. Capacity to innovate, in that thing is, Payton
:51:39. > :51:49.things and sell things to the world. In January, EU Commissioner
:51:50. > :51:55.will launch a project, the European Commission's 70 billion euros
:51:56. > :52:03.development fund to boost jobs and drive economic growth right across
:52:04. > :52:08.Europe. You heard it right, 70 billion in research and development
:52:09. > :52:12.grants, spread over five years. That is 14 billion per year. In the
:52:13. > :52:18.previous frame work, we failed to lay claim to even half of our
:52:19. > :52:23.proportionate share in the Irish Republic were able to claim
:52:24. > :52:31.something like four times the amount that the population had. That is one
:52:32. > :52:35.of the reasons why the Irish Republic has a successful high-tech
:52:36. > :52:40.economy. It is vital that the North gets its act together and gets a
:52:41. > :52:45.fair share of that European research and development money. There is no
:52:46. > :52:49.better person to ensure that than Alex Attwood as a member of the next
:52:50. > :53:06.European Parliament. APPLAUSE.
:53:07. > :53:13.We are very glad that inter-trade Ireland, which has created 3000 new
:53:14. > :53:19.jobs and generated a lot of trade, it is seen this opportunity is vital
:53:20. > :53:24.and is moving to help promote participation of smaller and
:53:25. > :53:31.medium-sized businesses. This is very welcome news, so we in the
:53:32. > :53:35.island of Ireland now have the tremendous economic opportunity to
:53:36. > :53:40.develop our clever ideas into viable products and services with real
:53:41. > :53:48.global commercial potential. This is an exciting prospect, because this
:53:49. > :53:54.project has the potential to provide many of the cornerstones that we
:53:55. > :53:58.want to see, to build the dynamic economy of the future. In the
:53:59. > :54:06.short-term, one simple initiative which could have a dramatic effect
:54:07. > :54:10.on our struggling tourism sector would be reducing VAT. Our local
:54:11. > :54:16.tourism industry employs 60,000 people and can ill afford the
:54:17. > :54:19.current VAT rate. I want to come to make the Irish government are
:54:20. > :54:23.keeping it at 9% for the hospitality industry and we would demand that
:54:24. > :54:32.the British Government should do the same.
:54:33. > :54:38.APPLAUSE. We want to champion small business,
:54:39. > :54:42.which forms the backbone of our local economy and employs 347,000
:54:43. > :54:46.people. We have been struck in recent times by the distress in the
:54:47. > :54:50.small-business community by the unhelpful attitude of the banks.
:54:51. > :54:55.Banks must be aware of the social and moral responsibility to be
:54:56. > :54:59.flexible and helpful to business, particularly at difficult times and
:55:00. > :55:02.we will continue to monitor and harass the banks so that there are
:55:03. > :55:06.perks conduct is brought to the public attention and we will do all
:55:07. > :55:12.we can to hold them to account. I want to mention a couple of final
:55:13. > :55:18.points, in Westminster, Mark Durkan, Margaret Ritchie and I will fight
:55:19. > :55:25.for small business and we will provide a robust contribution into
:55:26. > :55:28.the banking enquiry. That enquiry is intended to ensure small businesses
:55:29. > :55:32.get better accessed to money. We will fight for a better deal for
:55:33. > :55:36.farmers and fishermen and fight to keep Britain in Europe, because
:55:37. > :55:40.Britain coming out of Europe would be a disaster for Northern Ireland.
:55:41. > :55:44.At the end of the day, all of this boils down to creating jobs for
:55:45. > :55:48.ordinary hard-working families and providing financial security for
:55:49. > :55:53.all. In the Assembly, we will be working to support low paid workers
:55:54. > :55:58.and we will focus on attacking the zero our contracts which are out
:55:59. > :56:03.there. We will be fighting the welfare cuts and we will be
:56:04. > :56:08.demanding that the Executive supports farmers by establishing a
:56:09. > :56:11.cold weather alert system to put in place crisis preventative measures.
:56:12. > :56:16.We will demand that the Executive take steps to create a more
:56:17. > :56:24.effective delivery pipeline from major infrastructural work, while
:56:25. > :56:29.new councils across the North, the SDLP will work to deliver a reformed
:56:30. > :56:32.and efficient type of local government which is responsive to
:56:33. > :56:44.the needs of ordinary hard-working people. My friends, 50 years ago,
:56:45. > :56:50.Martin Luther King mesmerised the world with his Washington speech. We
:56:51. > :56:58.are here, in the SDLP, a party led for so long by John Hume, and I
:56:59. > :57:04.stand before you and am proud to tell you that I also have a dream. I
:57:05. > :57:10.have a dream of a much better Ireland, where our vision and all
:57:11. > :57:14.our hopes and ambitions for peace and reconciliation and social
:57:15. > :57:19.justice and economic prosperity are finally realised. That is in a new
:57:20. > :57:25.Ireland, taking our place in a Brave New World at the heart of Europe and
:57:26. > :57:31.where we are at peace with ourselves and with Britain. We in the SDLP are
:57:32. > :57:37.determined to ensure that we empower you, our members and delegates and
:57:38. > :57:42.activists, to help realise your dreams, your hopes, your ambitions,
:57:43. > :57:47.both for yourselves and for your families and together we shall
:57:48. > :57:54.overcome. Thank you. APPLAUSE.
:57:55. > :58:00.A standing ovation for Alistair MacDonald. Spoke for a lot longer,
:58:01. > :58:05.what were the big headlines? His strap line is reconciliation, social
:58:06. > :58:10.justice, prosperity process and back came across clearly. His political
:58:11. > :58:15.pledges, the re-establishment of the Civic Forum was interesting. I think
:58:16. > :58:19.many people would like to pick up on that. This notion of the
:58:20. > :58:24.establishment of the health care commission might be something else.
:58:25. > :58:29.Some of the keywords included hard-working families, ordinary
:58:30. > :58:37.people and that was important. Thank you. We will leave it there. As
:58:38. > :58:43.Alistair MacDonald takes the applause from his colleagues, that
:58:44. > :58:48.is it from us. We will be back in November the 23rd with the DUP. Join
:58:49. > :58:54.me tomorrow at 1pm when Alasdair McDonnell will be my guest on Sunday
:58:55. > :58:59.Politics. Goodbye.