:00:21. > :00:27.Welcome to our mad to our coverage. It has been an eventful 12 month
:00:27. > :00:37.for a party. -- 12 months. They painfully lost a ministerial place
:00:37. > :00:38.
:00:38. > :00:41.at the Executive table. Mr Elliott made headlines by talking about the
:00:41. > :00:44.scum of Sinn Fein in his acceptance speech, something which he
:00:44. > :00:49.apologised for. This is the scene in the conference hall, with
:00:49. > :00:54.benefits taking part in a question and answer session. In a short
:00:54. > :00:59.while, they will hear the leader's speech. We will bring that to you
:00:59. > :01:05.live at about 12:30pm. With me now is our political editor and the
:01:05. > :01:09.Ulster Unionist deputy leader. First, let's hear from the party
:01:10. > :01:14.chair man, who declared the beam of the conference to be recovery. He
:01:14. > :01:18.also had strong words for some members of the Orange Order.
:01:18. > :01:23.leader is determined that a specific campaign of action will
:01:23. > :01:27.focus on rebuilding are based in the Greater Belfast area. -- are
:01:27. > :01:31.based. We are deploying significant resources between now and Christmas
:01:31. > :01:36.to conduct falling on a scale never before undertaken in Northern
:01:36. > :01:43.Ireland. -- polling. This will gather evidence across every
:01:43. > :01:46.Unionist constituency to determine why Unionists are stopping voting
:01:46. > :01:50.generally, while they are not voting for the Ulster Unionist
:01:50. > :01:57.Party in particular, and what actions by us might encourage them
:01:57. > :02:01.to start voting again and to start voting Ulster Unionist again. This
:02:01. > :02:06.evidence will inform our strategy for recovery and also determine our
:02:06. > :02:10.relationship with other parties, particularly in seats where it will
:02:10. > :02:17.be impossible to secure a Unionist when if there is continued
:02:17. > :02:23.competition. -- you missed the green. As an Ulster Unionist Party
:02:23. > :02:26.member and an Orangeman, I was ashamed and disgusted that a
:02:26. > :02:32.Belfast lodge this offer it to dry and discipline our leader and
:02:32. > :02:36.minister because they paid respects to a young police officer, murdered
:02:36. > :02:46.by terrorists. -- saw fit to try and discipline.
:02:46. > :02:46.
:02:46. > :02:51.APPLAUSE. They exhibited a greater Christian
:02:51. > :02:57.charity than that large's members can ever hope to. But they did no
:02:57. > :03:02.more than Unionist leaders before them, like David Trimble, Harry
:03:02. > :03:09.West and right back to James Craigavon and Edward Carson before
:03:09. > :03:14.them. I welcome the dismissal of this issue by the county lodges,
:03:14. > :03:18.but this should never have been an issue in the first place and that
:03:18. > :03:26.Belfast lodge has brought our institution into serious public
:03:26. > :03:31.disrepute. Setting out by you have some soul-searching to do? I do not
:03:31. > :03:39.think that is any surprise to the membership of the party, that we
:03:39. > :03:43.need to look at things that work during the election, things we were
:03:43. > :03:49.successful in. In rural areas in the West we had a good election. My
:03:49. > :03:52.own constituency and district councillor had a very good election.
:03:52. > :03:59.The Greater Belfast area had a very proper election. We need to look at
:03:59. > :04:05.the factors, you know, David was talking about how you research that,
:04:05. > :04:09.how we reconnect with voters. use it went wrong in Belfast?
:04:09. > :04:13.were not connected with our voter base in Belfast. We were being
:04:13. > :04:18.squeezed between the DUP and the Alliance Party in Belfast
:04:18. > :04:23.constituencies and there was not the connection that the party was
:04:23. > :04:30.in Belfast and relevant and engaged on the ground. How you get the
:04:30. > :04:36.voters back? The need stronger candidates are new faces? -- do you
:04:36. > :04:41.need stronger candidates, or new faces? The build it up. You need to
:04:41. > :04:44.Cambus and engage with the public, like we are doing in other
:04:44. > :04:49.constituencies, and working hard for the party to engage and to have
:04:49. > :04:58.the party working well, you need to consider is working well in that
:04:58. > :05:01.area and a MLAs with it. -- councillors. We are down in Belfast
:05:01. > :05:05.to two MLAs and three councillors. That is a small base to build on.
:05:05. > :05:09.But it is a base and we need to improve on that and whatever the
:05:09. > :05:14.boundary changes throw at us, we need to be able to connect and we
:05:14. > :05:19.will do that. What is your view, where did it go wrong in Belfast?
:05:19. > :05:22.Belfast is an area where the Unionists have been squeezed
:05:22. > :05:29.between a resurgent Alliance Party and the DUP. The Ulster Unionists
:05:29. > :05:33.have to work out what they stand for and what is there appears to
:05:33. > :05:36.voters. David Campbell talked about looking at their strategy in seats
:05:36. > :05:45.where they cannot secure a Unionist win, their relationship with other
:05:45. > :05:50.parties. That sounds like a deal with the DUP. If they go with that
:05:50. > :05:56.approach, as they did swiftly after the council elections in
:05:56. > :06:04.Castlereagh, where they announced an agreement with the DUP to ensure
:06:04. > :06:07.the Unionists had a block, the voters will say, hang on, this is
:06:07. > :06:11.DUP like, what is the distinguishing element? David
:06:11. > :06:16.Campbell had harsh words for the Orange Order. In PR terms he should
:06:16. > :06:21.have been congratulating them. That protest about Tom Elliot and Danny
:06:21. > :06:24.Kennedy attending a funeral in PR terms did quite a lot for the of
:06:24. > :06:29.the Unionist leader and simply buried some of the adverse
:06:29. > :06:36.publicity he got at the time of the election for comments about Sinn
:06:36. > :06:40.Fein. It put him back into the cab of the shared future. It is
:06:40. > :06:48.difficult in terms of image and what is the difference between the
:06:48. > :06:53.UUP and DUP. Ulster Unionist speakers have been much more at
:06:53. > :07:03.left wing compared to the DUP's hang a heady. Is that per you need
:07:03. > :07:05.
:07:05. > :07:08.to go to? Darth -- is that why you need to go to? We did not take it
:07:08. > :07:12.as a left-right debate. We looked at the evidence and said, what is
:07:12. > :07:15.working? For the Ulster Unionist Party, whatever the policy of
:07:15. > :07:20.government is, it has to be based on outcomes and what works for
:07:20. > :07:25.people on the ground. We looked at the antisocial behaviour debate. We
:07:25. > :07:29.looked at the evidence. We are starting to work and make a
:07:29. > :07:33.difference and the evidence is suggesting there is an impact.
:07:33. > :07:38.terms of the electorate is that not wishy-washy? When it comes to
:07:38. > :07:41.voting and the ballot box, people need to know where you stand. If
:07:41. > :07:49.you change from one D bit to the next they will not know what you
:07:49. > :07:53.stand for. -- Debate. I would say we have actually stood, and what
:07:53. > :08:00.the electorate want is something that works, you can do this and try
:08:00. > :08:09.and be populist and say, let's hang a antisocial use, but what people
:08:09. > :08:13.on the ground won't, -- want, you want something that works, and you
:08:13. > :08:18.are realistic enough to know the police can't solve it on their own.
:08:18. > :08:21.You want a collective approach. When it moves into a criminal
:08:21. > :08:28.matter you want the police to be there. You also expect them to turn
:08:28. > :08:37.up when you call them, not drive past in a car for hours later. --
:08:37. > :08:40.four R Slater. That is what people on the ground one. -- a want.
:08:40. > :08:47.People are want action on the economy and things like fuel
:08:47. > :08:56.poverty. Is the party marking itself out compared to what Sinn
:08:56. > :09:01.Fein and the DUP are doing? They are saying that the Sinn Fein-DUP
:09:01. > :09:04.domination is putting things to stalemate. They made an argument
:09:04. > :09:09.that the system should change in the last election. They hold to
:09:09. > :09:16.that in principle but it did not appeal to voters because of the
:09:16. > :09:20.reduced of hope they got. Basil McCrea made an interesting
:09:20. > :09:24.contribution in which he talked about the Executive settling for no
:09:24. > :09:31.water charges, lower rates, no tuition fees, essentially shirking
:09:31. > :09:36.the harsh issues. The problem for the Ulster Unionists will be if
:09:36. > :09:40.they say we have to face up to the debt and raise water charges, rates
:09:40. > :09:44.and tuition fees, but will be easy ground for the DUP to attack them
:09:44. > :09:53.on. The Secretary of State's attendance today, is that not
:09:53. > :10:03.another case of mixed messages? Surely, the leader said that was it
:10:03. > :10:04.
:10:04. > :10:07.worth -- with the Conservatives, it was dead. We would like, and Owen
:10:07. > :10:14.Paterson made it clear, they are determined to bring national
:10:14. > :10:19.politics. It is how you try and normalised politics in Northern
:10:19. > :10:26.Ireland, how you have a party that has influence here and influence at
:10:26. > :10:29.Westminster as well. On things like the nation duty, we had a major
:10:30. > :10:34.impact on that. The result with the PMS, the agreement before the
:10:34. > :10:39.election, it made eight huge difference to 10,000 and more
:10:39. > :10:42.savers. Those are the real advantages of having implements and
:10:43. > :10:49.normalising politics in Northern Ireland, but you can have a proper
:10:49. > :10:55.debate. -- that you could have a proper debate. What is deliverable
:10:55. > :10:57.in Northern Ireland? We believe you should have agreement on a
:10:57. > :11:03.programme for government because the government needs direction and
:11:03. > :11:07.focus to move in. We are all over the place, ministers doing a thing
:11:07. > :11:11.with no central focus. You go round the trade stands at exhibitions
:11:11. > :11:20.here today, you will hear people crying out for a joined-up
:11:20. > :11:24.collective approach towards child poverty, fuel poverty, the economy,
:11:24. > :11:32.corporation tax. Where is the leadership from the DUP lead
:11:32. > :11:36.Executive? We said there is none. - - Guisse.
:11:37. > :11:40.Danny Kennedy has already addressed delegates this morning. He is
:11:40. > :11:44.outlining his achievements as Regional Development Minister.
:11:44. > :11:47.It is almost six months since I entered office as Regional
:11:47. > :11:55.Development Minister and inherited what I can only describe as
:11:55. > :12:02.Murphy's mess. APPLAUSE.
:12:03. > :12:10.I am not going to dump on,, but really, it has been my job to clean
:12:10. > :12:14.up Murphy's maze -- mess and give leadership. -- I am not going to de
:12:14. > :12:17.bonne Conor Murphy. In my leadership campaign week pledged to
:12:17. > :12:22.overturn the previous decision to introduce on-street car parking
:12:22. > :12:25.charges. Over the summer months, I toured Northern Ireland, listening
:12:25. > :12:34.to business representatives, councillors and many other people,
:12:34. > :12:39.who were genuinely concerned about this proposal, --. It was clear to
:12:39. > :12:44.me then that the one issue that mattered the most amongst people in
:12:44. > :12:49.Northern Ireland is the economy. Action was required to make sure it
:12:49. > :12:52.life could be made easier for traders and business owners. --
:12:53. > :13:02.Make sure life could be made easier. We were prepared to deliver on our
:13:02. > :13:06.manifesto commitment. A's -- APPLAUSE.
:13:06. > :13:10.After intense discussions I was able to announce a fortnight ago
:13:10. > :13:20.that trains will run on the core rain-Londonderry railway line for
:13:20. > :13:24.
:13:24. > :13:34.most of the UK City of Culture year in 2030 -- 2013. -- Chorion-
:13:34. > :13:36.
:13:36. > :13:40.Londonderry. We want to see further investment into that line. Such a
:13:40. > :13:44.service would greatly help the local economy, operating throughout
:13:44. > :13:48.Ireland, and assist our tourism potential. Despite a spurious and
:13:48. > :13:52.unfounded claims and accusations from Sinn Fein that the Ulster
:13:52. > :13:59.Unionist Party was not committed to the north-west, it was this party
:13:59. > :14:05.back yet again corrected the mess from a Sinn Fein minister.
:14:05. > :14:11.APPLAUSE. I have not been focusing on rail
:14:11. > :14:16.services alone. Last week I announced plans for the Belfast
:14:16. > :14:22.rapid transit project which will help transform Belfast into a
:14:22. > :14:29.modern and attractive European city. I was able to confirm that the
:14:29. > :14:33.green way it would not be a preferred route. -- would not be. I
:14:33. > :14:40.want to commend party colleagues within this party who actively
:14:40. > :14:46.lobbied for the Greenway to be retained. The Ulster Unionist Party
:14:46. > :14:49.can and will deliver on issues that matter to people. We have had the
:14:49. > :14:55.ground running in the past few months but there is still more to
:14:55. > :15:01.be achieved. With me now, the Regional
:15:01. > :15:09.Development Minister, and Joanne Dobson. You talked about do rail
:15:09. > :15:13.link. -- the rail link. You talked about Conor Murphy's mess. Surely
:15:13. > :15:18.their proposals and plans for that railway line were in his art trade?
:15:19. > :15:26.I have said that I inherited the decision taken by Conor Murphy to
:15:26. > :15:32.defer work on the Coleraine- Londonderry line. Once it became
:15:32. > :15:38.clear and it emerged over the summer, I work with Translink to
:15:38. > :15:47.bring forward a weight to deliver train services between Coleraine
:15:47. > :15:54.and Londonderry, particularly in 2013. We are entitled to claim
:15:54. > :15:57.credit for that. We are a party of government who have been listening.
:15:57. > :16:00.The easy thing for me would have been to sit back and say it was not
:16:00. > :16:05.my decision and I can do nothing about it. We have changed that and
:16:05. > :16:07.we have made progress and I think that is welcome not only in the
:16:07. > :16:13.north-west but all over Northern Ireland and particularly in the
:16:13. > :16:23.railway services. Was it an admission by the party that Michael
:16:23. > :16:25.
:16:25. > :16:30.McGimpsey got it wrong with It was the right thing to do. It
:16:30. > :16:35.would have been a very poor reflection had we reached UK City
:16:35. > :16:40.of Culture with no rail services between Belfast and Londonderry.
:16:40. > :16:45.That would have been an untenable position for Regional Development
:16:45. > :16:50.and the entire Executive. It is patchwork. Hundreds of millions of
:16:50. > :16:56.pounds needs to be spent on that line. That is never going to happen
:16:56. > :17:01.in the near future, is it? We are having to do in phases. That is
:17:01. > :17:11.perhaps not ideal. This party did not do ferrets in the way the
:17:11. > :17:12.
:17:12. > :17:19.previous party did. -- did not do Ferrer it. We want to keep it open
:17:19. > :17:24.in 2013 and to continue to develop the service. Joanna Dodson, you are
:17:24. > :17:29.on the agriculture committee. What you think you can bring to the
:17:29. > :17:34.committee that is distinctive from the other parties? It is better if
:17:35. > :17:41.you are a far yourself. You know the issues that are important to
:17:41. > :17:46.farmers. I represent rural constituency. They know I will
:17:46. > :17:51.fight for fairness for farmers. you be objective? Can you take your
:17:51. > :17:56.own perceived bias out of the picture and make a decision that is
:17:56. > :18:02.right for everybody? Of course you can. Being a farmer myself, it
:18:02. > :18:07.gives you a greater insight. My job is to scrutinise. I will listen to
:18:07. > :18:13.both sides of the argument and make a decision. Are you worried about
:18:13. > :18:21.European reforms? Of course. I work very closely with Jim Nicholson in
:18:21. > :18:26.Europe. And Robins Swan. We are fighting, standing up for the
:18:26. > :18:30.farmers. How are you finding settling into the Assembly? A lot
:18:30. > :18:35.of people on the ground say there is too much talk and not enough
:18:35. > :18:40.action? The Ulster Unionist Party is all about action. We're doing
:18:40. > :18:44.our best for the people of Northern Ireland. How does the party
:18:44. > :18:51.recover? David Campbell talked about trying to do some soul-
:18:51. > :18:57.searching and the possibility of electoral pacts. It is important
:18:57. > :19:02.the party reconnect with the grass roots. And that we are seen to be
:19:02. > :19:09.active on the ground working on behalf of people. We have much
:19:09. > :19:13.progress to make on those issues. There is a very good spirit here
:19:13. > :19:19.today at this conference. The conference is united. People want
:19:19. > :19:25.to see this party prosper. They are prepared to do the hard work
:19:25. > :19:30.necessary. How do you find being in the Executive? Alex Attwood appears
:19:30. > :19:38.to be having a hard time. You seem to not have the trouble Michael
:19:38. > :19:42.McGimpsey had as a member of the Executive. The Ulster Unionist
:19:42. > :19:48.Party is at approaching this Executive in a positive manner.
:19:48. > :19:54.We're working collectively. The task will be whether the Executive
:19:54. > :19:58.can work together in a five-party coalition. All of the parties will
:19:58. > :20:02.be given the opportunity to bring forward their views and policies. I
:20:03. > :20:08.have brought a number of policies through. I am very hopeful the
:20:08. > :20:13.other parties will continue to work constructively. That is what the
:20:13. > :20:17.people said in the election result in May. We recognise that and we
:20:17. > :20:22.are seeking to implement that. Enjoy the rest of the conference.
:20:22. > :20:26.The overriding topic at the moment is the state of the economy.
:20:26. > :20:32.Earlier, members held a debate calling on the Assembly to
:20:32. > :20:39.rebalance the economy and prove -- improve the skills of the workforce.
:20:39. > :20:45.Are we open for business? Are requested it. If we are, we pick
:20:45. > :20:51.our skills and sectors. The Assembly has to weigh in behind and
:20:51. > :20:58.make those difficult decisions that represent a common sense Government.
:20:58. > :21:01.It is all Into related. The economy, health and housing, regional and
:21:01. > :21:07.social development. That is why we wanted a programme agreed before
:21:07. > :21:13.ministers ran off into their own departments, running them for their
:21:13. > :21:19.own party political selfish interests. Last April, the
:21:19. > :21:26.Department of Enterprise announced as short-term employment scheme.
:21:26. > :21:31.�19 million ring-fenced did create employment. -- to create employment.
:21:31. > :21:37.Six months later, not one job is on the ground. There has been one
:21:37. > :21:41.announcement about jobs and another announcement that they are not
:21:41. > :21:46.calling it the short-term employment scheme Annie Moore, they
:21:46. > :21:52.are calling it the jobs fund. There are so embarrassed that after six
:21:52. > :21:55.months they have not created a single job. If I give you �19
:21:55. > :22:00.million and he did not have jobs on the ground in six weeks, never mind
:22:00. > :22:06.six months, you would not sleep at night. Your conscience would not
:22:07. > :22:12.let you. Are we open for business? Not until week's gilt up
:22:12. > :22:16.accordingly. We are obsessed with the process of Government, with the
:22:16. > :22:23.input. In a business model you only have been put so that you have
:22:23. > :22:28.allowed pot and outcomes. What we are not good at as a Government is
:22:28. > :22:33.saying, this is what success looks like, this is where we are, here is
:22:33. > :22:40.the process that will get Oz from here to there. That process for me
:22:40. > :22:48.has to be to pick our sectors and skill up our workforce accordingly.
:22:48. > :22:55.Take tourism. The two targets for the tourist board are more tourists
:22:55. > :23:01.staying overnight, and a bigger average spend. Who does that, --?
:23:01. > :23:05.Golfers. We have three champions in Northern Ireland. If I was Arlene
:23:05. > :23:11.Foster, a year ago I would have been off to California, the richest
:23:11. > :23:18.state in the world. Arnold Schwarzenegger is governor. A man
:23:18. > :23:28.who knows us here in Northern Ireland. I would have said, "Arnie,
:23:28. > :23:38.
:23:38. > :23:48.Tiger Woods is not the best you Thank you very much. I have been
:23:48. > :23:48.
:23:48. > :23:57.asked to be sure to! -- short! I would do my best. -- I will do my
:23:57. > :24:02.best. The Secretary of State has joined us. We are proposing our
:24:02. > :24:09.vision for the future of the economy of Northern Ireland. I hope
:24:09. > :24:13.Secretary of State, you realise how real we as a party are. We are
:24:13. > :24:23.driving the economy forward. I hope you take it on board and take it
:24:23. > :24:31.back to the Prime Minister. There is an old saying that necessity is
:24:31. > :24:39.the mother of invention. That is true. But Father is the creativity
:24:39. > :24:44.and knowledge is the midwife. I have been asked to come forward and
:24:44. > :24:52.realise and show how the creative industries can actually contribute
:24:52. > :24:59.to the Northern Ireland society. The creative industries have not
:24:59. > :25:04.achieved their full potential. The Department was initiated and driven
:25:04. > :25:08.by an Ulster Unionist minister from the start. We missed out on the
:25:08. > :25:18.potential that Minister had to deliver. Unfortunately, there is
:25:18. > :25:21.nothing creative about the current minister. Unless it's in Irish. But
:25:21. > :25:28.ladies and gentlemen, we should not underestimate the potential of the
:25:28. > :25:38.creative industries. We are already playing catch up. We are starting
:25:38. > :25:39.
:25:39. > :25:47.to get there. I'll give you an example. Screen Northern Ireland,
:25:47. > :25:57.when they presented the game of thrones, filmed in Northern Ireland,
:25:57. > :25:59.
:25:59. > :26:05.in my own constituency in north Antrim. It was screened worldwide.
:26:05. > :26:12.Screened worldwide on Sky TV. It portrays a Northern Ireland,
:26:12. > :26:17.creativity, scenery, tourism. We have the ability to grasp that
:26:17. > :26:24.potential. But we're not making the full use of it yet. We have to
:26:24. > :26:31.adapt that. That is one example. One television series. It brought
:26:31. > :26:38.in �20 million worth of revenue. It created 550 jobs. Many people knew
:26:38. > :26:43.about it. We watch it on television but we have not portrayed it as
:26:43. > :26:51.being Northern Irish. That is where the potential is. We have to sell
:26:51. > :26:59.everything that we have to make sure we capitalise.
:26:59. > :27:03.Robin Swan adding a touch of humour. Basil McCrea joins me. You suggest
:27:03. > :27:08.we introduce water charges to raise money? We have a lot of things to
:27:08. > :27:13.do. Firstly, we have been convinced the people of Northern Ireland we
:27:13. > :27:18.will do something sensible. We also have to say, if we do not do things,
:27:18. > :27:22.there will be difficult decisions made in education, employment and
:27:22. > :27:27.learning, universities, and a lot of young people will be out of work.
:27:27. > :27:33.We have to think of creative ways of raising finance. You're Minister
:27:33. > :27:38.could have raised some money in the parking charges? People
:27:38. > :27:43.collectively need to look at this. Nobody has pulled together an
:27:43. > :27:47.economic plan that everybody signs up 2. People are dealing with
:27:47. > :27:52.things on an individual basis. I have no problem with people looking
:27:52. > :27:57.after their own department. We have to do something bigger. The people
:27:57. > :28:02.of Northern and and are expecting us to step up to the mark.
:28:02. > :28:08.Northern Ireland. Water charges are one of the only ways we can raise
:28:09. > :28:14.significant revenues. Surely it is an electoral suicide? Our economy
:28:14. > :28:20.will be suicide in the next two to three years. When you look at the
:28:20. > :28:28.budgets from learning, education, we are closing huge numbers of
:28:28. > :28:32.schools. The pain is just beginning to start. People want options. If
:28:32. > :28:36.you come up with a genuine alternative that you have engaged
:28:36. > :28:42.the public with, reassured them an absolutely demonstrated you would
:28:42. > :28:48.use the money wisely, I think you might get a different answer then
:28:48. > :28:52.if you just come along and say, we would like to raise taxes. You're
:28:52. > :28:57.on the Department of Education and Learning Committee. At the end of
:28:57. > :29:02.your speech, you put under- achievers as one line. Surely that
:29:02. > :29:06.should be the Ulster Unionist Party top priority, to get Protestant
:29:06. > :29:11.under-achievers, twice less likely to go to university as their
:29:12. > :29:17.Catholic counterpart? I was not intimating that was a any less
:29:17. > :29:23.important. It is where we need to concentrate on. We need to make
:29:23. > :29:28.some policies and help those under- achievers. It is very difficult.
:29:28. > :29:32.People do see the DUP and the Ulster Unionist Party as
:29:32. > :29:40.championing the cause of the transfer pests, championing the
:29:40. > :29:45.grammar schools sector? education system... We have to
:29:45. > :29:53.start from the bottom, from the early years, get a system in place
:29:53. > :30:01.that helps everybody. In employment and learning, we are picking up on
:30:01. > :30:06.those people to pick up on numeracy and literacy they missed out on
:30:06. > :30:10.earlier. There are many areas we need to improve on. You are new to
:30:10. > :30:18.the Assembly. How are you finding it when people are very critical of
:30:18. > :30:23.what is going on at Stormont? We're in there to make a difference.
:30:23. > :30:26.People are frustrated with how the Assembly has worked in the past. We
:30:26. > :30:30.are really just trying to get stuck in there and make some changes and
:30:30. > :30:33.to be more positive and to bring forward policies that will
:30:33. > :30:38.encourage more people to get engaged with the political system,
:30:38. > :30:44.so we can turn things around. have talked a lot about public
:30:44. > :30:50.relations. Isn't fuel poverty the number one issue that your party
:30:50. > :30:59.could be chomping at the bit getting something done about? So
:30:59. > :31:04.that people this winter will have There are many issues that require
:31:04. > :31:08.our attention. You could say educational under-achievement is a
:31:08. > :31:11.priority, fuel poverty, social housing, all of these things are a
:31:11. > :31:16.real issue. The money is strictly limited and we need to prioritise
:31:16. > :31:19.things. What is your priority out of that list? What do you think is
:31:19. > :31:25.the most important thing for people watching the programme today and
:31:25. > :31:29.for anyone who would vote for you in the future? It depends on those
:31:30. > :31:35.people's individual circumstances. For a young person, getting a job
:31:35. > :31:41.is a priority. For someone in fuel poverty, who is may be elderly, but
:31:41. > :31:45.is the priority. Everything in life is connected and you cannot deal
:31:45. > :31:49.with it with the mentality we currently have. Some sort of winter
:31:49. > :31:53.fuel payment scheme is not looking at things individually, that is
:31:53. > :31:58.something you can change people's lives, this year? You could also
:31:58. > :32:04.say the real answer to dealing with fuel poverty is insulation. We have
:32:04. > :32:11.to get houses made warmer, for instance new houses hardly need
:32:11. > :32:15.heating because they are so well insulated. Do we spend money now or
:32:15. > :32:20.invest in the long term? Those are serious calculations that have to
:32:20. > :32:23.be made. There is no silver bullet that will sort the issues out. We
:32:23. > :32:27.have to reassure the people that we are taking it seriously and that we
:32:27. > :32:31.are working hard at this, and we are competent to make decisions on
:32:31. > :32:37.their behalf. But you are not campaigning for a winter fuel
:32:37. > :32:41.payment? The issue, when you look at individual concerns, is one of a
:32:41. > :32:46.balance of priorities. We will be talking about everything in the
:32:46. > :32:54.round. It will depend on how cold or otherwise the winter is coming
:32:54. > :33:01.in. I spoke only last week to Danny Kennedy about things like gritting
:33:01. > :33:07.fit paps, people were stuck in their houses. -- footpaths. We
:33:07. > :33:10.expect things to be better than last year. I have no doubt things
:33:10. > :33:14.will come up a we were not expecting. We need to react much
:33:14. > :33:18.quicker and get our communication strategy right as well. You did
:33:18. > :33:22.want to be leader. You think things have settled down and there is a
:33:22. > :33:29.status quo in the party? One of the good things about this conference
:33:29. > :33:35.and the Assembly is what a good to we are. You can ask Xander --
:33:35. > :33:39.Xander. I was talking about how well we are coming together with
:33:39. > :33:43.policies and getting the message across that we are working together.
:33:43. > :33:47.People come in and keep you on your toes, asking why you are doing
:33:47. > :33:55.things in certain ways. Both Cassandra and Joanne are formidable
:33:56. > :34:04.MLAs. It is a pleasure to work with them. We know we have to beat
:34:04. > :34:07.United in terms of these issues. -- we know we have to be united. We
:34:07. > :34:12.are able to be very reactive and quick on our feet and we think we
:34:12. > :34:16.are making a difference in the Assembly. Was the Secretary of
:34:16. > :34:21.State's appearance today a mistake, in your opinion? I think it was a
:34:21. > :34:25.good thing. There is a challenge for Northern Ireland about how we
:34:25. > :34:30.keep ourselves relevant with the rest of the UK. Every part of the
:34:30. > :34:35.UK and Europe is under huge pressure about finances. Things are
:34:35. > :34:38.not going well in many places. It is important that those with
:34:38. > :34:42.influence on our daily lives are appraised of what is going on here.
:34:42. > :34:47.The Secretary of State will take on board the comments made in the hall.
:34:47. > :34:52.We hope to talk to him about funding and other issues. I will
:34:52. > :34:57.let you go and listen to your party leader's speech.
:34:57. > :35:07.Tom Elliot has taken to the stage for his keynote speech.
:35:07. > :35:28.
:35:28. > :35:38.APPLAUSE. All right, ladies and gentlemen!
:35:38. > :35:39.
:35:39. > :35:45.Chairman, my lords, ladies and gentlemen, you are very kind. I
:35:45. > :35:50.welcome you all here and thank you for your support so far. Ladies and
:35:50. > :35:55.gentlemen, it is common for the media to describe some leaders'
:35:55. > :36:01.speeches as the most important that they have had to make. In this case,
:36:01. > :36:06.it would be true, but I tell you, that is true of all my speeches.
:36:06. > :36:10.LAUGHTER. APPLAUSE.
:36:10. > :36:15.It is about laying foundations for the growth and expansion of his
:36:15. > :36:21.party. This is about continuing the fight back and working to regain
:36:21. > :36:25.the votes of the electorate. Ladies and gentlemen, when I became leader
:36:25. > :36:32.in 20th September 10, it was at the very beginning of the election
:36:32. > :36:37.campaign. -- September, at 2010. Many candidates had already been
:36:37. > :36:40.selected. There was not going to be time to begin, let alone complete
:36:40. > :36:47.changes, then I had been a death- defying is necessary during my
:36:48. > :36:51.campaign. -- identifying as necessary. Like all of you, I would
:36:51. > :36:58.have liked a much better result in the election. We did not do as well
:36:58. > :37:01.as I would have wished. I want to find all of our Assembly and
:37:01. > :37:05.council candidates for flying the flag and fighting the Ulster
:37:05. > :37:11.Unionist Party corner. I want to back all of our members who knocked
:37:11. > :37:18.on doors and down the campaigns. This party exists because of the
:37:18. > :37:23.efforts, enthusiasm and sheer determination of our grass roots.
:37:23. > :37:28.As leader, I am grateful to them and ladies and gentlemen, to all of
:37:28. > :37:31.you here today. With some breathing space until the next election I
:37:31. > :37:38.want to make sure that we are better prepared and fit for a
:37:38. > :37:43.battle when the next contest comes. This is not about reinventing or
:37:43. > :37:48.repositioning the Ulster Unionist Party my primary task is to set out
:37:48. > :37:54.the process for recovery and ensure we have a clear agenda upon which
:37:54. > :37:59.we can be judged at the next election. What is clear is that we
:37:59. > :38:05.do not fool ourselves that if we said about and wait for other
:38:05. > :38:10.parties to get it wrong rat somehow, we will reap the rewards. -- that
:38:10. > :38:15.somehow. We cannot attack others and imagined such a strategy will
:38:15. > :38:22.deliver dividends for us. We will point the finger when we believe
:38:22. > :38:25.that our political opponents are getting it wrong. Let us be blunt,
:38:25. > :38:30.there is no point in complaining about the failures of others if we
:38:30. > :38:35.do not have something better to offer. It is fine to said that an
:38:35. > :38:39.awful lot of people seem to have concerns about poor government. As
:38:39. > :38:45.the Assembly election proved, many have not yet been persuaded to come
:38:45. > :38:49.back to last. That has to tell you something. But it tells you is that
:38:49. > :38:59.people are not ready to come back to ask, or even come to us for the
:38:59. > :39:07.first time. Our job, in fact my job, is to give their reasons to vote
:39:07. > :39:13.for our party. The only job of a government is to provide government.
:39:13. > :39:16.It is not rocket science. It really is that simple. It needs to be a
:39:16. > :39:22.government which addresses the pressing social and economic
:39:22. > :39:25.questions addressing everyone here. They need to have politics is to
:39:26. > :39:30.meet the needs of all the people of Northern Ireland. It cannot just be
:39:30. > :39:36.about the transfer of power to locally elected ministers. It has
:39:36. > :39:40.to be a government for Northern Ireland. Surely, ladies and
:39:40. > :39:44.gentlemen, we did not spend 40 years working to restore devolution
:39:44. > :39:50.just to end up splitting the block grant between a group of people who
:39:50. > :39:58.choose it to end up doing their own thing. -- Accies to do their own
:39:58. > :40:02.thing. There is no programme of government were speaking about.
:40:02. > :40:07.There is self interest at the heart of the Executive. There is delay
:40:07. > :40:12.about every decision. There is indecision on key issues like our
:40:12. > :40:17.shared future. There is no overarching strategy for the new
:40:17. > :40:27.Northern Ireland. There is a two- party car park, serving purely
:40:27. > :40:35.sexual -- sectional interests. There is a lack of collective
:40:35. > :40:40.ministerial responsibility. There is no real choice at elections on
:40:40. > :40:45.how long we must put up with a flawed democratic process. How long
:40:45. > :40:49.do we keep telling people that it is better than what we used to
:40:49. > :40:55.have? The Assembly is certainly better than direct rule were being
:40:55. > :41:00.better than direct rule is certainly no excuse for a lack of
:41:00. > :41:09.pro-government. APPLAUSE.
:41:09. > :41:15.-- pro-government. At the last election we put forward what we
:41:15. > :41:18.describe as keen changing proposals, for improving government, which
:41:18. > :41:23.would put eight programme for government upfront or -- rather
:41:23. > :41:29.than a cobbled together afterthought. Proposals which would
:41:29. > :41:32.begin an immediate process. Others paid lip-service to the proposals
:41:32. > :41:37.during the election campaign and then forgot about them when the
:41:37. > :41:45.campaign was over. They could safely get back to their hand-in-
:41:45. > :41:50.glove relationship at the top table. Yet here we are, six months later,
:41:50. > :41:59.and there is nothing concrete which either the media for general public
:41:59. > :42:03.could describe as progress. That is utterly unacceptable. It is bad
:42:03. > :42:12.government, it is the sort of leadership which will add to the
:42:12. > :42:17.numbers of voters choosing to stay at home on polling day. Choosing
:42:17. > :42:22.government must be based on mutual respect and interest. What we have
:42:22. > :42:27.is a coalition government in which others often seemed to inspire
:42:27. > :42:37.nothing -- to nothing higher than neutral and veto and avoidance of
:42:37. > :42:38.
:42:38. > :42:42.uncomfortable realities. Irrespective of attempt by other
:42:42. > :42:46.political parties to rewrite history the fact remains that there
:42:46. > :42:51.would not be an Assembly and recognisable peace process if it
:42:51. > :42:56.was not for the Ulster Unionist Party. Standing up for Unionism was
:42:56. > :43:01.right. Standing up for Northern Ireland was the right thing to do.
:43:01. > :43:09.The conditions for negotiations were never perfect, but they were
:43:09. > :43:13.conditions which were always beyond our control. I want to tell you,
:43:13. > :43:18.quite recently Peter Robinson made a speech in Liverpool and the most
:43:18. > :43:25.telling paragraph in that speech to me was, and I quote: Whatever
:43:25. > :43:30.anyone may say now, the position we adopted was consistent with our
:43:30. > :43:35.electoral commitments and proved to be in the best interests of the DUP.
:43:35. > :43:38.Ladies and gentlemen, it did not matter about it was not in the best
:43:38. > :43:42.interests of the Northern Ireland public or that it may have been in
:43:42. > :43:47.the best interests of the Unionist population, so long as it was in
:43:47. > :43:57.the best interests of them, themselves. That's as much to me,
:43:57. > :43:57.
:43:57. > :44:02.ourselves alone. APPLAUSE.
:44:02. > :44:05.By contrast, ladies and gentlemen, the odds to Unionist Party wanted
:44:06. > :44:09.devolution add good government, we wanted a genuine power-sharing
:44:10. > :44:15.collective. The wanted cross-party co-operation that would make
:44:15. > :44:21.Northern Ireland a better place. Unlike the DUP, we were motivated
:44:21. > :44:27.not by selfish party political advantage, but by the benefit of
:44:27. > :44:34.Northern Ireland and its people. There has been a great deal of
:44:34. > :44:38.publicity recently about inquiries dealing with the past and victims.
:44:38. > :44:45.Many families lost loved ones during the Troubles in shocking and
:44:45. > :44:49.cruel circumstances and those loved ones included Pat Finnegan. All
:44:49. > :44:52.families, ladies and gentlemen, are entitled to the truth surrounding
:44:52. > :44:56.the circumstances of the death of their loved one. There has much
:44:56. > :45:00.time and energy devoted to the case of Pat Finucane and animal that
:45:00. > :45:06.families of many other victims have expressed her that their loved ones
:45:06. > :45:13.have not been afforded equal attention. -- have expressed hurt.
:45:13. > :45:16.I understand that. It is time to call a halt to the incomplete,
:45:16. > :45:23.flawed and imbalance arrangements that are employed to do with the
:45:23. > :45:27.past. -- to deal with the past. We need a mechanism rather than
:45:27. > :45:35.processes that we write history and are painting the state and the
:45:35. > :45:38.emergence of the state as villains. -- the edicts of the state. The
:45:39. > :45:47.Ulster Unionist Party acknowledges the massive debt that this country
:45:47. > :45:57.owes to the bravery the service and the sacrifice of our security
:45:57. > :45:58.
:45:58. > :46:01.forces. Those people chose to put
:46:01. > :46:07.themselves in harm's way and protect the citizens of this
:46:07. > :46:13.country. It is a debt which can never be paid. The very least that
:46:13. > :46:16.we can do is stand up and defend those and defend their reputation
:46:16. > :46:21.when they are being slandered by those who choose to inflict
:46:21. > :46:25.violence on the our Society. Currently I see no prospect of
:46:25. > :46:30.finding a mechanism where everybody feels empowered to tell the truth
:46:30. > :46:36.about what they did during the last 40 years. In the absence of that,
:46:36. > :46:41.we operate a very uneven playing field, where the great majority of
:46:41. > :46:48.the victims see the resources dedicated to a very few high-
:46:48. > :46:57.profile cases. Even they often end up up feeling dissatisfied with
:46:57. > :47:07.what they get. It is ultimately a question of trust. Trust, like the
:47:07. > :47:09.
:47:09. > :47:16.truth in this province, is in a very short supply. But we also have
:47:17. > :47:25.a task of addressing every day issues that affect all of us.
:47:25. > :47:29.Issues like health, education, the economy, jobs, housing,
:47:29. > :47:33.unemployment and safe roads. A climate of change is required in
:47:33. > :47:39.every single area an aspect of life over which the Assembly has
:47:39. > :47:43.responsibility. We must reconnect with the electorate and re-engage
:47:43. > :47:49.with their interests than politics. We must create a form of evolution
:47:49. > :47:54.which not only delivers but is seen to deliver. -- evolution. All of
:47:54. > :48:01.the Assembly parties should be very concerned at the sky high levels of
:48:01. > :48:07.public this interest. -- pays interest. We should be concerned at
:48:07. > :48:11.the lack of interest there is in politics. After 13 years it seems
:48:11. > :48:16.increasing numbers of people have lost faith, not only in local
:48:16. > :48:22.politics, but in local politicians. I do not believe either of the two
:48:23. > :48:27.largest parties should take any comfort. Many people who voted for
:48:27. > :48:31.those parties did so in an attempt to stop the others from taking the
:48:32. > :48:37.position. Rather than voting for the combination which they believed
:48:37. > :48:45.would deliver a form of Government, they were instead voting to do the
:48:45. > :48:50.other side down. That may suit the two larger parties. But on the
:48:50. > :48:59.evidence available to me, it does not lead to good Government and it
:48:59. > :49:04.certainly does not lead to public confidence. APPLAUSE.
:49:04. > :49:10.But all of this represents a huge challenge for the Ulster Unionist
:49:10. > :49:16.Party. It is up to us to attract the tens of thousands of Ulster
:49:16. > :49:22.Unionist voters voting at the start of the peace process, who were not
:49:22. > :49:26.voting any longer. It is about the Bank of policies which reflect the
:49:26. > :49:31.needs of our macro-economy and our society. Do not think it cannot be
:49:31. > :49:37.done. Do not ever think the mountain is too high, because it is
:49:37. > :49:41.not. Sometimes in politics you do have to make a stand by yourself.
:49:41. > :49:48.There is much talk about the need to get agreement on everything in
:49:49. > :49:53.advance. People quite often forget that you can set your own platform,
:49:53. > :49:58.agenda and programme. What matters most is that people know what the
:49:58. > :50:02.Ulster Unionist Party stands for. What are our values are and what
:50:02. > :50:09.our mission is. I am not sure enough people know that. If we do
:50:09. > :50:13.it tell them, you can be certain our opponents will not tell them. I
:50:13. > :50:17.just do not want people to vote for the Ulster Unionist Party because
:50:17. > :50:23.they think of us are making a mess and failing to deliver on good
:50:23. > :50:26.Government. I want them to vote for us, the Ulster Unionist Party,
:50:26. > :50:36.because we have a vision for Northern Ireland that is worth
:50:36. > :50:38.
:50:38. > :50:41.developing. I want them to vote for us because we are interested in the
:50:41. > :50:45.people of Northern Ireland. Yes, we are the Unionist Party, but the job
:50:46. > :50:52.of Government is to meet the everyday needs, demands, hopes and
:50:52. > :51:00.expectations of our people. Ladies and gentlemen, those people are
:51:01. > :51:05.here in Northern Ireland and no one else. -- nowhere. Let us look at
:51:05. > :51:11.some of those policies. Let us remind ourselves of what the Ulster
:51:11. > :51:14.Unionist Party have committed to. We have committed to affaire post-
:51:14. > :51:22.primary education transfer system that gives the best opportunity to
:51:22. > :51:26.all our young people, and ensure that we end the era when many leave
:51:26. > :51:29.school without being able to read and write. A single education of
:51:29. > :51:36.the map that does not allow a single education bodies to have
:51:36. > :51:40.their own powers. -- authority. A health service that will meet the
:51:40. > :51:44.needs of a whole community and one that is free. An economy that is
:51:44. > :51:50.driven by an inventive private sector and produces efficiencies
:51:50. > :51:57.within the public sector. But also, let us remind ourselves of what the
:51:57. > :52:01.Ulster Unionist Party has done. The Ulster Unionist Party saved plunder
:52:01. > :52:09.-- the Northern Ireland tax pair hit the �8 million by subscribing
:52:10. > :52:13.generic brand drugs. -- tax payer. The Ulster Unionist Party put a �53
:52:13. > :52:17.million back into frontline health services by completing the review
:52:17. > :52:22.of public administration in the health service, and reducing the
:52:22. > :52:32.number of health and social care bodies from 38 to 17, under the
:52:32. > :52:34.
:52:34. > :52:40.auspices of the Ulster Unionist Party minister Michael McGimpsey.
:52:40. > :52:46.But fellow Unionists, do not just think that was it all. We laid on
:52:46. > :52:51.the progress of the evolution of corporation tax, we laid on
:52:51. > :52:55.reducing air passenger duty on transatlantic flights. We delivered
:52:55. > :53:02.on the promise not to reduce the Sinn Fein commitment of town centre
:53:02. > :53:06.car parking charges in 30 tense throughout Northern Ireland. And we
:53:06. > :53:16.delivered on our commitment to ensure a fair solution to the
:53:16. > :53:17.
:53:17. > :53:22.Presbyterian mutual society savers Ladies and gentlemen, just remind
:53:22. > :53:27.yourself of what the Ulster party - - Ulster Unionist Party did not do.
:53:27. > :53:32.We did not bring forward proposals for a terrorist shrine at the
:53:32. > :53:36.former Maze prison site. The Ulster Unionist Party did not bring
:53:36. > :53:42.forward the Council model that will enshrine the national and
:53:43. > :53:46.Republican majority in Belfast. -- and nationalist. The Ulster
:53:47. > :53:50.Unionist Party has not overseen the increase to the highest
:53:50. > :53:55.unemployment rate in Northern Ireland for over 13 years. And I
:53:55. > :54:05.can tell you, the Ulster Unionist Party did not close accident and
:54:05. > :54:06.
:54:06. > :54:10.emergency services at Lagan Valley in the city hospitals. The Ulster
:54:10. > :54:18.Unionist party will fight for what is right for everybody in Northern
:54:18. > :54:22.Ireland. I accept that we cannot do it by ourselves. We can provide the
:54:22. > :54:27.Government - that we can provide, in isolation. It is a task that
:54:27. > :54:33.must be shared. It is vitally important that at the core of the
:54:33. > :54:35.Executive there must be a party, or parties that believe in power-
:54:35. > :54:39.sharing and collective responsibility. Parties that want
:54:39. > :54:44.to make a positive difference rather than parties that want to
:54:44. > :54:49.sustain a stalemate and protect their own selfish interests. That
:54:49. > :54:53.is the task and challenge for the Ulster Unionist Party. Now that the
:54:53. > :54:58.review of the justice minister appointment process is fast
:54:58. > :55:02.approaching, and it is due in May 2012, there is a perfect
:55:02. > :55:06.opportunity to streamline and develop a much more efficient of
:55:06. > :55:10.Northern Ireland Government. All parties have said they want to
:55:10. > :55:20.reduce the level of Government structures at Stormont. I say here
:55:20. > :55:21.
:55:21. > :55:26.today, now is your chance. You will not find us wanting. We have now
:55:26. > :55:35.time to reduce the current number of Government departments from 12
:55:35. > :55:39.to, let's say, eight. That is a reduction of a third. Right at the
:55:39. > :55:44.heart of the Executive. I challenge others to follow the lead of the
:55:44. > :55:48.Ulster Unionist Party. Letter card that burden on the taxpayers. Maker
:55:48. > :55:54.sells more efficient. Give the public value for their money. Let
:55:54. > :56:01.me make it very clear. If we do not do this together, then we will
:56:01. > :56:06.convince nobody. Our opponents seek to put us down at every opportunity.
:56:06. > :56:10.That is politics. If we do not demonstrate internal collective
:56:10. > :56:17.responsibility and promote a cure and united vision, we only help
:56:17. > :56:22.those who seek to do us end. If we do not exercise personal loyalty to
:56:22. > :56:27.this party and collective loyalty to our all parties, we are doing
:56:27. > :56:35.the job of our political opponents. Presenting ourselves as an
:56:35. > :56:42.organised is it then efficient election machine is important. --
:56:42. > :56:46.as an efficient. It really does not matter how organised we are... We
:56:46. > :56:52.must ensure we provide the vision of the people of Northern Ireland
:56:52. > :56:55.want and share. The recovery depends on two key elements. A
:56:55. > :57:02.strong and disciplined party command a relevant platform for a
:57:02. > :57:07.good performance. --, and a relevant platform. If members of
:57:07. > :57:11.this party did not stand shoulder to shoulder and called from the
:57:11. > :57:18.same agenda, we will continue to damage our cells. Teamwork and
:57:18. > :57:23.unity of purpose is essential. We can only succeed if we do it
:57:23. > :57:27.together, acting and the spirit of co-operation and goodwill. Can I
:57:28. > :57:36.say, ladies and gentlemen, I have got great heart from this audience
:57:36. > :57:42.today in that respect. Just coming to the end of Tom Elliott's speech.
:57:42. > :57:47.Mark, or what BG make of it? He had one interesting thing to say about
:57:47. > :57:53.reducing the number of Government departments. And using the business
:57:53. > :57:57.of the justice ministry having to be sorted out. A few other elements
:57:57. > :58:00.in relation to policy. In terms of the overall vision, I am not sure
:58:00. > :58:04.if the Ulster Unionists have settled on their direction. One
:58:04. > :58:09.thing he has not addressed at all is their relationship with the
:58:09. > :58:14.Conservative Party, which has been raised by Owen Paterson coming here.
:58:14. > :58:18.We do not know if they have given up completely. Is there a courtship
:58:18. > :58:23.still going on? It is difficult because it is all about image when
:58:23. > :58:30.it comes to politics and getting re-elected? Yes. There has been
:58:30. > :58:34.talk about attracting the tens of thousands of Unionists. That is a
:58:34. > :58:38.broken record at this stage. I have heard that several conferences. I
:58:38. > :58:42.am not convinced they nowhere there are going. There is no talk of
:58:42. > :58:47.leadership challenge. He seems solid in his job. Thank you very