Browse content similar to 22/09/2012. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Welcome to the programme. The Ulster Unionists have gathered at | :00:17. | :00:21. | |
the Titanic Building. It is Mike Nesbitt's first conference as | :00:21. | :00:30. | |
leader, and we will have live coverage of his speech, and | :00:30. | :00:37. | |
comments from Rick Wilford. Mike Nesbitt, the former broadcaster won | :00:37. | :00:43. | |
a decisive victory six months ago. But it has been far from plain | :00:43. | :00:47. | |
sailing since then. From disaster to try and, at the | :00:48. | :00:55. | |
new Titanic is a symbol of success and renewal. The Ulster Unionists | :00:55. | :01:00. | |
chose it for its annual conference. Some find it a curious choice, by | :01:00. | :01:05. | |
party now led by someone experienced in public relations. As | :01:05. | :01:11. | |
it left the party sinking four years in the polls on the defensive. | :01:11. | :01:17. | |
People like yourself have a great line. But it is a wonderful | :01:17. | :01:23. | |
building. People are interested in coming in. It was on March 31st, | :01:23. | :01:27. | |
Mike Nesbitt won a landslide in the leadership race, having told his | :01:27. | :01:33. | |
party to judge him by his 100 days. On his first day, his first idea | :01:33. | :01:37. | |
unfolded during his first BBC interview as leader. Maybe what I | :01:38. | :01:42. | |
need to do is find a family that it would adopt me the 24 hours. I | :01:42. | :01:46. | |
would like to live in an area of social deprivation, because it is | :01:46. | :01:51. | |
important to get a feel for what it is like. By the second day, the man | :01:51. | :01:58. | |
who promised a better media profile found his idea marked. Crassness. | :01:58. | :02:06. | |
Although some like the idea, some felt the pressure. High-profile | :02:06. | :02:12. | |
member who had fallen out with the previous leader was expelled. | :02:12. | :02:16. | |
have a cardboard cut-out for a leader, no saucepans or policies. | :02:16. | :02:22. | |
People regret that now. And June 13th, a party veteran, Lord | :02:22. | :02:27. | |
Maginnis make controversial remarks about gay marriage. As an e-mail | :02:27. | :02:30. | |
issued by Mike Nesbitt ordering no one to speak to the media without | :02:30. | :02:36. | |
clearance, was leaked in minutes. There was more bad news with a poll | :02:36. | :02:41. | |
suggesting the party was neck and neck with Alliance. By August 28th, | :02:41. | :02:47. | |
there was no discipline for Lord Maginnis and no unity. He had quit. | :02:47. | :02:54. | |
We have now seen the party under the present leadership accelerate | :02:54. | :03:00. | |
its demise. I wouldn't say he has had a lot of | :03:00. | :03:06. | |
bad days, he has every attributable we need. He is savvy with the media | :03:06. | :03:13. | |
and the general public. I have heard nothing in this area, and I | :03:13. | :03:15. | |
cover a manner and South Tyrone, and there is nothing but backing | :03:15. | :03:21. | |
for the leader. Critical support from a critical constituency. But | :03:21. | :03:25. | |
others say he should be worried. cannot think of one-day Mike | :03:25. | :03:31. | |
Nesbitt could have said, "yes, that is it, the beginning of the | :03:31. | :03:36. | |
turnaround". It has not happened. Can you think of one day he has | :03:36. | :03:44. | |
impressed? I listen to one of his radio interviews when he was | :03:44. | :03:49. | |
speaking about the economy, and he was very impressive. There is still | :03:49. | :03:53. | |
good will towards the good leader, but there is also disappointment. | :03:53. | :03:58. | |
One senior party figure told me that based on Mike Nesbitt's track | :03:58. | :04:03. | |
record so far, his speech this weekend needs to be brilliant. | :04:03. | :04:08. | |
would probably be the first to say he has been too cautious and I | :04:08. | :04:12. | |
think we will see a change of pace. Critics say he needs to unveil | :04:12. | :04:18. | |
strong policies this weekend, plus work on what they say is a lack of | :04:18. | :04:24. | |
discipline and leadership. So many summed it up, he reminded him of | :04:24. | :04:30. | |
the dog that chased a car, finally caught it, but has no idea what to | :04:30. | :04:34. | |
do with it. But there is time to turn the ship around before the | :04:34. | :04:40. | |
next critical Test - the European election in 2014. | :04:40. | :04:45. | |
Martina Purdy on the challenges facing Mike Nesbitt and his party. | :04:45. | :04:50. | |
Mark Davenport is at the Titanic Building. Can they should be turned | :04:50. | :04:55. | |
around with the current captain at the helm? The situation is, there | :04:55. | :05:01. | |
is no chance of them getting another captain any time soon. Mike | :05:01. | :05:05. | |
Nesbitt won the election with a landslide. He does have more time, | :05:05. | :05:11. | |
and he has a bit of time until the Northern Ireland wide election, | :05:11. | :05:15. | |
although they might be a by- election in Ulster soon. In opinion | :05:15. | :05:19. | |
on how he is doing with the leadership, I am joined by a man | :05:19. | :05:25. | |
who did stand for the leadership initially, FC Basle. How do you | :05:25. | :05:31. | |
think Mike Nesbitt is bedding in? He had the falling out with 0 | :05:31. | :05:38. | |
McGuinness. The acid test is coming up now. Everyone is entitled to a | :05:38. | :05:44. | |
bit of time to get their feet under the table and what he will be | :05:44. | :05:48. | |
saying at the table -- conference is selling division to everybody | :05:48. | :05:52. | |
else and the wider country. It is not a problem people have had | :05:52. | :05:57. | |
problems. That is life. It is how you deal with them and move forward. | :05:57. | :06:03. | |
That is what we are all looking for. On the issue he fell out with Lord | :06:03. | :06:06. | |
Maginnis, do you think he could have handled that differently and | :06:06. | :06:12. | |
kept him within the camp? Lord Maginnis is a character we are all | :06:12. | :06:17. | |
familiar with. He is his own man. I am not party to the Inns and outs | :06:17. | :06:22. | |
of things, but what is important if you talk about a clear policy | :06:22. | :06:28. | |
stands, you don't send out unclear messages on important matters, and | :06:28. | :06:33. | |
the leader had to deal with it, and he dealt with it. I think Mike | :06:33. | :06:38. | |
Nesbitt will be starting his speech shortly, so back to the studio. | :06:38. | :06:43. | |
will get more from our political editor between now and 1pm. He will | :06:43. | :06:47. | |
give us his analysis on what Mike Nesbitt has to save. We are | :06:47. | :06:52. | |
expecting Mike Nesbitt to appear at the podium in the next moment or | :06:52. | :06:58. | |
two. Before that, let's hear from Professor Rick Wilford from Queen's | :06:58. | :07:02. | |
University. What are you expecting Mike Nesbitt to say? What are you | :07:02. | :07:07. | |
looking out for in this speech, which we think will be about 35 | :07:07. | :07:16. | |
minutes in duration? The image of him as a leader, he has to be | :07:16. | :07:22. | |
purposeful. In terms of content, we need some direction of where the | :07:22. | :07:26. | |
party is going. Plus detail in relation to policy. He has to be | :07:26. | :07:31. | |
able to stand there and prevent laughing of him leading a united | :07:31. | :07:37. | |
party. We know there are differences and there are divisions | :07:37. | :07:44. | |
in the party about what he has failed to accomplish. He has to | :07:44. | :07:48. | |
encourage the troops. Whatever his message is, he has to mobilise and | :07:48. | :07:53. | |
motivate the people in the audience to go out there and secured a | :07:53. | :07:56. | |
greater vote, a greater share of the vote and get people to vote in | :07:57. | :08:01. | |
the first place. Presumably he will want to nail the discussion that is | :08:01. | :08:04. | |
happening in the wings about his leadership and his leadership | :08:05. | :08:12. | |
style? He will want to give a barnstorming performance? It is at | :08:12. | :08:16. | |
tub-thumper of the speech he needs, telling everybody he is in charge. | :08:16. | :08:24. | |
He comes across as being a purposeful leader is important. He | :08:24. | :08:32. | |
has had his tail tweaked from the margins. Almost in the shape of | :08:32. | :08:38. | |
Lord Maginnis, which has gone away, almost a flash in the pan. He has | :08:38. | :08:42. | |
to commend himself as an insightful leader, who has a clear image of | :08:42. | :08:52. | |
what he wants to a college -- accomplished for the party. Thanks | :08:52. | :08:57. | |
very much. Looking at pictures of Mike Nesbitt appearing in the | :08:57. | :09:02. | |
Titanic sweet, in Titanic, Belfast. He is walking through the | :09:02. | :09:11. | |
membership with his wife, the former broadcaster. Shaking hands | :09:11. | :09:19. | |
and being warmly embraced by someone, not sure who that was. I | :09:19. | :09:23. | |
think that it was Joy Rolston who introduced him. About 50 delegates | :09:23. | :09:27. | |
for his first speech as leader of the party. | :09:27. | :09:37. | |
:09:37. | :09:37. | ||
Let's see what he has to say. Foulkes, you can clap or your life, | :09:37. | :09:44. | |
you are still going to have to listen to it. German, my Lords, | :09:45. | :09:50. | |
elected representatives, ladies and gentlemen. -- chairman. I imagine a | :09:50. | :09:54. | |
good few of you listening to this are expecting me to start with the | :09:54. | :10:04. | |
:10:04. | :10:06. | ||
words, "looking back 100 years". I want to look the other way. Looking | :10:06. | :10:11. | |
forward 100 years, what will our descendants think of us? Will they | :10:11. | :10:16. | |
think as kindly of us as we think of Edward Carson and of his | :10:17. | :10:22. | |
generation? Well will be honoured, celebrated and cherished as he is | :10:22. | :10:27. | |
with history say that we rose to the challenge the way he did to his | :10:27. | :10:32. | |
challenge. I hope so, because it is what I want for this party, of | :10:32. | :10:38. | |
course, but also for this country and everyone who lives here. The | :10:38. | :10:45. | |
Protestants and Catholics, Jewish people, Muslims, men, women, | :10:45. | :10:55. | |
:10:55. | :10:56. | ||
Chinese, Indian, Eastern European, this appeal is to everybody. | :10:56. | :11:06. | |
:11:06. | :11:07. | ||
De Ulster Unionist Party is not a religious organisation. We are not | :11:07. | :11:12. | |
a party for Protestants. We recognise more people than ever in | :11:12. | :11:15. | |
Northern Ireland embrace the benefits of being part of the | :11:15. | :11:20. | |
United Kingdom, which includes the freedom to practise your religious | :11:20. | :11:27. | |
beliefs. That is us. I see us as a progressive party, but above all, a | :11:27. | :11:31. | |
political party, and one everybody can look to for a positive | :11:31. | :11:35. | |
alternative to what is on offer today. Because that is what is | :11:35. | :11:41. | |
needed today, a creditor of -- credible alternative. Edward Carson | :11:41. | :11:45. | |
did not shrink from a challenge, did not squander opportunities. | :11:45. | :11:51. | |
What about us? We don't have to speculate if Edward Carson would | :11:51. | :11:56. | |
approve, he told us exactly how to measure success and failure in a | :11:56. | :12:00. | |
speech to the House of Commons in 1920. Looking forward to a | :12:00. | :12:07. | |
Government at Stormont, he said, "they must forget section and | :12:07. | :12:13. | |
faction. If. Does what I asked of her and hope she does what I hope | :12:13. | :12:18. | |
she will do, set up a good Government, a fair Government, and | :12:18. | :12:23. | |
a Government not for sections and factions, but for all, her example | :12:23. | :12:30. | |
may be followed". I liked that vision, of the Government not for | :12:30. | :12:34. | |
sections or factions, but for everybody. It takes us right to the | :12:34. | :12:40. | |
heart of what I want to achieve in politics, the end of sectarianism. | :12:40. | :12:50. | |
:12:50. | :12:57. | ||
Sectarianism has lasted longer than the Troubles. Think about that. | :12:57. | :13:02. | |
Sectarianism is still responsible for death and injury. Sectarians | :13:02. | :13:07. | |
and is dictating the pace at which we move to a truly peace situation. | :13:07. | :13:14. | |
It is holding back the economy, education, health and housing. I | :13:15. | :13:18. | |
once the Ulster Unionist Party to tackle that enduring legacy of our | :13:18. | :13:23. | |
troubles. If you are wondering what I believe in, it is social justice. | :13:23. | :13:29. | |
I would like to have a leadership role that is peaceful, law-abiding | :13:29. | :13:34. | |
and fur, where everybody gets a chance. Where we show a generosity | :13:34. | :13:39. | |
of spirit when we need people with a different identity or a different | :13:39. | :13:44. | |
set of aspirations. If you are wondering what I want to target? It | :13:44. | :13:49. | |
is sectarianism, multiple deprivation and it is poverty. If | :13:49. | :13:54. | |
you are wondering why I am in politics, I told you simply - my | :13:54. | :13:59. | |
father was 49 years of age the day the family business was blown up. | :13:59. | :14:03. | |
Looking back it was the last day he got out of bed with a true sense of | :14:03. | :14:08. | |
purpose in his life. Every day I meet young people who were looking | :14:08. | :14:12. | |
for a sense of purpose in their lives, but are denied it through a | :14:12. | :14:16. | |
lack of employment, poor health, education and the lack of a decent | :14:16. | :14:23. | |
home. That is the challenge of political leadership. Be in no | :14:23. | :14:33. | |
:14:33. | :14:33. | ||
doubt, there is a crisis that was that -- 2012, not the same as 2000 | :14:33. | :14:41. | |
-- 1912. The true inheritors of the legacy of Edward Carson. Do you | :14:41. | :14:46. | |
think we might relax about that for a minute and concentrate some | :14:46. | :14:51. | |
contemporary issues? There is a crisis. As the unemployed if there | :14:51. | :14:56. | |
is a job crisis, as parents of under-achieving children if there | :14:56. | :15:02. | |
is a crisis in education. Ask the owners if there is a housing crisis. | :15:02. | :15:06. | |
Asked a nurse if there is a health crisis. And ask the thousands of | :15:06. | :15:11. | |
people who don't vote any more if there is a crisis in politics. The | :15:11. | :15:14. | |
Ulster Unionist Party says, yes there is. | :15:14. | :15:24. | |
:15:24. | :15:25. | ||
Edward Carson had an answer to the crisis of 1912, he made a pledge | :15:25. | :15:30. | |
and formed a team, and that sounds like a plan to meet. Let stand up | :15:31. | :15:35. | |
fearlessly and state what we stand for and ask every citizen in the | :15:35. | :15:37. | |
country to join the team and fight for what is best for Northern | :15:37. | :15:42. | |
Ireland and its people, and I mean all of its people. We need a Road | :15:42. | :15:47. | |
Map for the way ahead for the next generations. It is a map that shows | :15:47. | :15:52. | |
where we want to go and identify as the best route to get there. And | :15:52. | :15:57. | |
there will be an inconvenient truth along the way. Namely, it will take | :15:57. | :16:02. | |
a long time to get there, and that is a hard message for people at the | :16:02. | :16:06. | |
35 years of violence and 18 years on from the ceasefire, you cannot | :16:06. | :16:11. | |
expect anybody to be happy to be told it might take another 10, 15, | :16:11. | :16:15. | |
20 years to fix some of our problems. But that is an | :16:15. | :16:20. | |
inconvenient truth. So we must manage transition with a short-term | :16:20. | :16:27. | |
steps of delivery and steps of hope. The Road Map must show how we will | :16:27. | :16:31. | |
end up with better, like a single system of education which allows | :16:31. | :16:36. | |
children to develop as they would in any normal society. But, without | :16:36. | :16:40. | |
fear or prejudice to their face. Achieving that balance is a major | :16:40. | :16:48. | |
challenge, but there are already two fundamentals we agree upon. | :16:48. | :16:52. | |
Sharing is the first step. And if our children are educated | :16:53. | :16:57. | |
separately and only meet in a meaningful way in their late teens, | :16:57. | :17:02. | |
long after lasting friendships have been formed, we do little to tackle | :17:02. | :17:05. | |
the separateness which is a breeding ground of mistrust and | :17:05. | :17:10. | |
sectarianism. It is an inconvenient truth it will take time to create a | :17:11. | :17:16. | |
normal society where everybody mixes, particularly in housing and | :17:16. | :17:20. | |
in education. But I once for that and I want normal Government as | :17:20. | :17:26. | |
well. A better Government. I have a simple request. Give us the | :17:26. | :17:30. | |
opportunity and we will deliver better. | :17:30. | :17:40. | |
:17:40. | :17:44. | ||
Give us the chance and a Government that puts common sense at the heart | :17:44. | :17:48. | |
of everything the Government does. Give us the opportunity and you | :17:48. | :17:52. | |
will see an administration that won't waste time trying to justify | :17:52. | :17:55. | |
the current system when you would be better served if we make the | :17:55. | :18:00. | |
system better. I once Government that detests waste, what ever it | :18:00. | :18:05. | |
may become a money, resources but above all, people's life chances. | :18:05. | :18:09. | |
The greatest sin of any bad Government is it tolerates loss of | :18:10. | :18:14. | |
opportunities for its people. I see those lost opportunities every day. | :18:14. | :18:20. | |
So do you, 63,000 people seeking work. Children yearning for the | :18:20. | :18:24. | |
education they deserve. The victims of terrorism, some who have waited | :18:24. | :18:34. | |
:18:34. | :18:34. | ||
so long, they are no longer wondering if it is possible that | :18:34. | :18:40. | |
the Government's to do something for their grandchildren. I think we | :18:40. | :18:46. | |
can. I want a Government focused on results. This mandate will focus | :18:46. | :18:50. | |
administration on a better way of doing Government. As we did in the | :18:50. | :18:55. | |
last 10 days when we called on an economic plan B in the wake of the | :18:55. | :19:00. | |
FG Wilson disaster. My first close view of Government is when I joined | :19:00. | :19:05. | |
the victims' Commission. It is what -- was not a pretty sight. There | :19:05. | :19:10. | |
was an obsession with the inputs and processes of Government. The | :19:10. | :19:14. | |
business people in this room will tell you, you don't spend money on | :19:14. | :19:19. | |
the necessary inputs, you don't build a factory, by raw-material is | :19:19. | :19:22. | |
and employ staff unless you think you have a decent chance of | :19:22. | :19:26. | |
manufacturing something people will buy. And the storm and bill of | :19:26. | :19:32. | |
goods is pretty thin. -- Stormont. If the Ulster Unionist Party were | :19:32. | :19:36. | |
given a chance we would refocus efforts on the Abbots and incomes. | :19:36. | :19:41. | |
We would give you a vision of what success looks like an use the | :19:41. | :19:44. | |
resources of governments to make it happen in their area. It is a | :19:44. | :19:49. | |
simple shift from writing strategies which sit up here, to | :19:49. | :19:57. | |
implementing action plans which deliver on the ground. | :19:57. | :20:07. | |
:20:07. | :20:12. | ||
The debate has moved on. A It is not about that any more. What sort | :20:12. | :20:18. | |
of government do you want? 18 years after BC's fire and 14 after the | :20:18. | :20:26. | |
Belfast Agreement, I am in politics because I see political failure. | :20:26. | :20:34. | |
Nobody talks about a peace dividend any more. We never really got one. | :20:34. | :20:41. | |
More of our children live in poverty today and it is unexpected | :20:41. | :20:46. | |
and deeply unwelcome. Many of those children have at least one parent | :20:46. | :20:51. | |
in work. You cannot point the finger at the family's. If the | :20:51. | :20:58. | |
Ulster Unionists were in charge, we would not promised to eradicate it | :20:58. | :21:02. | |
because it is not possible but we would accept a target that is | :21:02. | :21:07. | |
currently missing. We would agree an absolute income level, that we | :21:07. | :21:15. | |
did not want a family falling below. We would allow specific levels of | :21:15. | :21:18. | |
deprivation and then targets that sector. It is not the complete | :21:18. | :21:22. | |
answer and does not tackle everybody but it does help the | :21:22. | :21:32. | |
:21:32. | :21:34. | ||
people most in need. It is Eclair, commonsense action plan. -- Eclair. | :21:34. | :21:44. | |
:21:44. | :21:50. | ||
There is no point in tinkering with the numbers if you do not also a | :21:50. | :21:57. | |
change the culture. These numbers are inputs and frankly we could | :21:57. | :22:07. | |
:22:07. | :22:11. | ||
probably achieve as much as more than 100 in 1818. -- a team of 18. | :22:11. | :22:21. | |
In 1988, -- 1998 there were various groups going forward politically. | :22:21. | :22:25. | |
You had to create a big set of institutions that everybody was | :22:25. | :22:30. | |
going to share. It was designed to be inclusive government. Not | :22:30. | :22:35. | |
necessarily efficient. These arrangements were meant to be | :22:35. | :22:42. | |
transitional. How can you justify jobs for the boys in 2012, with | :22:42. | :22:52. | |
:22:52. | :22:53. | ||
63,000 people? You cannot make that work. We have got too many MLAs, of | :22:53. | :23:00. | |
course. We cannot lose 12 if we go from a reduction in constituencies. | :23:00. | :23:05. | |
But that is just the next step, not the end game. If we stick with a | :23:05. | :23:10. | |
team, we need to think about another way to cut numbers. But we | :23:10. | :23:15. | |
want to improve efficiency without corrupting the principle of | :23:15. | :23:20. | |
inclusion which underpins devolved government. We will also reduce | :23:20. | :23:25. | |
government departments down to eight. We have analysed the | :23:25. | :23:32. | |
situation. It has not been plucked out of thin air. But to be clear, | :23:32. | :23:37. | |
it does not mean that we are taking a knife to the Civil Service. Fewer | :23:37. | :23:41. | |
departments does not mean that a night of the Long knives. It would | :23:41. | :23:47. | |
run against my opinion of good government. We want to balance the | :23:47. | :23:53. | |
economy. If the public sector is comparatively too big, we will grow | :23:53. | :23:57. | |
the private sector and social economy. We will create a place | :23:57. | :24:03. | |
where people can swap jobs and not lose employment. We have already | :24:03. | :24:13. | |
:24:13. | :24:15. | ||
And I want to stop just to say the Ulster Unionist Party understands | :24:15. | :24:20. | |
the social economy and the not-for- profit sector. We talk about things | :24:20. | :24:26. | |
like child-minding. Some people, it is not because they do not want to | :24:26. | :24:33. | |
work but because of the prohibitive cost of childcare. We have got �12 | :24:33. | :24:38. | |
million ring-fenced in the Executive budget. We can use some | :24:38. | :24:42. | |
of that to liberate the individual trapped on benefits without | :24:42. | :24:47. | |
damaging the private sector. We would maximise the potential of the | :24:47. | :24:52. | |
social economy, because we understand it. We remain resolute | :24:52. | :24:56. | |
in our opinion that the biggest single change to make Stormont a | :24:56. | :25:01. | |
building that delivers instead of survives, is the introduction of an | :25:01. | :25:09. | |
official opposition. Let me correct a big misconception. It is not | :25:09. | :25:14. | |
about the Ulster Unionists looking for a return to majority rule. I | :25:14. | :25:17. | |
can see a time when Northern Ireland will not require that kind | :25:17. | :25:22. | |
of government. When we do have an opposition, they will work in | :25:22. | :25:26. | |
opposition to a Coalition a cross- community government, made up of | :25:26. | :25:31. | |
the biggest parties of the two big blocks. The other misconception is | :25:31. | :25:36. | |
that the Ulster Unionists want money to enter opposition and that | :25:36. | :25:40. | |
is just a cheap shot. When you go into opposition you must have the | :25:40. | :25:45. | |
same kind of entitlements, speaking rights and research facilities | :25:45. | :25:51. | |
available to oppositions in Dublin, Cardiff, Edinburgh and London. We | :25:51. | :25:56. | |
want the opportunity to change government every few years. In a | :25:56. | :26:00. | |
democracy, the official opposition is afforded the maximum opportunity | :26:00. | :26:06. | |
to scrutinise the Government and offer alternatives. I want a normal | :26:06. | :26:13. | |
democracy for Northern Ireland. I except our particular circumstances | :26:13. | :26:17. | |
which dictate across Coalition community government, which is here | :26:17. | :26:27. | |
:26:27. | :26:30. | ||
I understand that with two big blocks at the heart of government | :26:30. | :26:36. | |
you might argue that is close to what I am calling for but it is not. | :26:36. | :26:39. | |
Because all they do is cancelled each other out without any fear of | :26:39. | :26:47. | |
being replaced. That is what people voted for. And this party needs to | :26:47. | :26:51. | |
respect that and understand that. But we have got a developing | :26:51. | :26:57. | |
opportunity. People want more than a face-off at the heart of our | :26:57. | :27:02. | |
government and the challenge that I had set for the party is, can we | :27:02. | :27:07. | |
persuade people that it is time to stop voting because of what people | :27:07. | :27:13. | |
tell you to be afraid of and it is now time to start voting because of | :27:13. | :27:23. | |
:27:23. | :27:34. | ||
The way forward must involve more than just keeping Sinn Fein happy. | :27:34. | :27:42. | |
Last week's unemployment figures were a disaster and the FG Wilson | :27:42. | :27:49. | |
disaster followed soon after. It is time for a plan B. Everybody will | :27:49. | :27:52. | |
have had the experience or knows somebody that has a terrible | :27:52. | :27:57. | |
feeling of not having any reason to get out of bed in the morning. Tens | :27:57. | :28:01. | |
of thousands of our citizens denied the sense of satisfaction that | :28:01. | :28:07. | |
comes from a good day's work. According to the Labour Force | :28:07. | :28:13. | |
Survey of 2007 when devolution was restored, the unemployed rate was | :28:13. | :28:22. | |
3.7 %. The lowest in the UK. 29,000 people. Five years later, I am | :28:22. | :28:29. | |
afraid to say the rate is 0.2 % higher than the UK average. Lost | :28:29. | :28:39. | |
:28:39. | :28:43. | ||
opportunities. I want the Ulster And how do we do it? When the | :28:43. | :28:47. | |
figures came out, the Federation of Small businesses recorded that 90 % | :28:47. | :28:54. | |
of unemployed people have found work in the private sector since | :28:54. | :28:57. | |
2008 and did that either by starting their own business or | :28:57. | :29:02. | |
joining an existing business. We have got a solution right there. I | :29:02. | :29:07. | |
am not against foreign investment. It is very welcome when it comes. | :29:07. | :29:13. | |
But the fact is that our private sector, it is almost exclusively | :29:13. | :29:19. | |
made up of Micra companies. That is the economic policy. -- small and | :29:19. | :29:28. | |
medium companies. We will be unapologetic way, aggressively and | :29:28. | :29:38. | |
:29:38. | :29:49. | ||
We can have more impact than the current policies of trying to | :29:49. | :29:58. | |
attract additional exports in the next four years. We have got | :29:58. | :30:02. | |
funding worth �3 billion per year for procurement to buy goods and | :30:02. | :30:06. | |
services for hospitals and resources for the public sector. If | :30:06. | :30:10. | |
we were in charge, we would change the process and insure that the | :30:10. | :30:15. | |
indigenous businesses get as much of that as possible. We would stop | :30:15. | :30:20. | |
small businesses looking enviously at what the administrations are | :30:20. | :30:24. | |
doing in Scotland and Wales and the Scots and the Welsh will ask ask, | :30:24. | :30:32. | |
how do you do it? The unemployed in the room and watching will have | :30:32. | :30:37. | |
noted that the current strategy is to cut 25,000 jobs in the next four | :30:37. | :30:45. | |
years. What message does that send out? That this local and devolved | :30:45. | :30:50. | |
government that we fought so hard to achieve cannot help over half of | :30:50. | :30:57. | |
you in the foreseeable future. Not good enough. I offer you seven | :30:57. | :31:02. | |
words to sum up what is wrong with our economy, seven simple words... | :31:02. | :31:12. | |
:31:12. | :31:18. | ||
Not enough finance, too much red We need money flowing again from | :31:18. | :31:23. | |
the banks to the entrepreneurs. This is not a time for the banks to | :31:23. | :31:27. | |
build up asset bases at the expense of the private sector. This is the | :31:27. | :31:33. | |
time to get money flowing. We would not just look to the banks. Pension | :31:33. | :31:37. | |
funds have got a part to play and so has public and private | :31:37. | :31:42. | |
partnerships. We need to use everything that is available to | :31:42. | :31:48. | |
increase access to finance. We have also got time to cut red tape and | :31:48. | :31:53. | |
bureaucracy holding back businesses. If the Ulster Unionists had | :31:53. | :31:59. | |
responsibility for the economy that would be the focus. We have led the | :31:59. | :32:04. | |
charge on corporation tax. It is our idea. We did not claim it would | :32:04. | :32:09. | |
be a silver bullet to the economy but it is a potential gain Changer, | :32:09. | :32:12. | |
particularly in the face of European regulations which will | :32:12. | :32:18. | |
force people to change how it works. The battle for devolving the | :32:18. | :32:22. | |
corporation tax might not be lost. But nobody is arguing that it is | :32:22. | :32:29. | |
going particularly well. I noticed the first and Deputy First Minister | :32:29. | :32:36. | |
his way in Downing Street and again merged -- emerged without agreement. | :32:36. | :32:41. | |
What about focusing on just the small profit rate, the business | :32:41. | :32:45. | |
rate? Give us the power and we will help small businesses by cutting | :32:45. | :32:49. | |
the small profit rate and helping local people continue to do what | :32:49. | :32:59. | |
:32:59. | :33:06. | ||
they do best, investing in and Also, we did not need to reduce the | :33:06. | :33:12. | |
tax in one hit. It can be phased in and Prix advertised to go and | :33:12. | :33:17. | |
attract investment on the ground. - - previously advertised. We have | :33:17. | :33:21. | |
had reports on the discussions with the Treasury and I am not hearing | :33:21. | :33:29. | |
any Plan B. Remember the price is lost opportunities. Creating jobs | :33:29. | :33:34. | |
and more money to spend and fewer people needing welfare. If the | :33:34. | :33:38. | |
problem with the tax is political and not economic, we have got a | :33:38. | :33:42. | |
Plan C. Bring down the small profit rate across the whole of the United | :33:43. | :33:46. | |
Kingdom. Northern Ireland will take a disproportionate advantage from | :33:46. | :33:55. | |
such a move. But whatever happens with the corporation tax | :33:55. | :33:59. | |
discussions between Executive and the Treasury, for the sake of the | :33:59. | :34:04. | |
economy I urge people not to walk away without a commitment to a | :34:04. | :34:10. | |
large scale infrastructure project. Do not leave the table without a | :34:10. | :34:16. | |
commitment to up to �300 million per year as a short term game | :34:16. | :34:20. | |
changer for the construction industry. There is more than one | :34:20. | :34:30. | |
:34:30. | :34:31. | ||
Ulster Unionists have also closed the ridiculous gap between asking | :34:31. | :34:37. | |
for advice from experts and acting upon it. A professor was asked to | :34:37. | :34:45. | |
review economic policy back in September 2009. He looked at a | :34:45. | :34:49. | |
single part of the economy and today, three years later, it still | :34:49. | :34:55. | |
has not happened even though nobody disagrees with his findings. All | :34:55. | :34:59. | |
that is changing is that the dole queue is considerably longer than | :34:59. | :35:09. | |
:35:09. | :35:10. | ||
it was three years ago, with lost Earlier this month, the chair of | :35:10. | :35:13. | |
the economic Advisory Group, set up by the Department of Enterprise, | :35:13. | :35:19. | |
said it was time to hold the Executive potholes feet to the fire. | :35:19. | :35:28. | |
It is time for action and not strategy. -- Executive's. Let's | :35:28. | :35:34. | |
generate apprenticeships. Up to 40,000, according to the department. | :35:34. | :35:38. | |
We need investment and not to have to hand back tens of millions of | :35:38. | :35:45. | |
pounds. It is easy. If you have got a plan A, form a Plan B. Let me | :35:45. | :35:50. | |
assure the farmers in the room, they can rest easy. I can | :35:50. | :35:55. | |
appreciate your contribution to the economy. Constant over 100 years | :35:55. | :35:59. | |
and more. I asked an entrepreneur if there was a limit to how far he | :35:59. | :36:04. | |
could expand his business. He told me about McCain's chips. We have | :36:04. | :36:09. | |
all seen them in all the frozen compartments of supermarkets. The | :36:09. | :36:14. | |
family were farmers in Canada forced by necessity to diversify. | :36:14. | :36:21. | |
To find a market. Today, their annual turnover is measured in | :36:21. | :36:27. | |
billions of dollars. That is the potential for this agricultural | :36:27. | :36:37. | |
:36:37. | :36:42. | ||
And let's think bigger in tourism as well. I acknowledge we have had | :36:42. | :36:47. | |
success from this time. But the fault lines remain. Too many | :36:47. | :36:54. | |
tourists come to this island flying into Dublin instead of Belfast. We | :36:54. | :37:00. | |
would back a route Development Fund. 5 million in three years to look at | :37:00. | :37:05. | |
routes including to the Middle East. We could also claw back for failure | :37:05. | :37:10. | |
to deliver. We would bring a new strand to the industry, human | :37:10. | :37:13. | |
heritage. Celebrating and promoting the incredible number of people in | :37:13. | :37:21. | |
Northern Ireland that have made a global impact. 17 US presidents, | :37:21. | :37:24. | |
their roots can be traced to Northern Ireland. Neil Armstrong, | :37:24. | :37:30. | |
first man on the moon. A philosopher. And for the great | :37:30. | :37:37. | |
summer of sport we have just enjoyed, what about the sports | :37:37. | :37:42. | |
people? George Best, Mike Gibson, Mary Peters and the Olympians and | :37:42. | :37:51. | |
Paralympians? Berry but Wigan, Fred Daly, Darren Clarke. -- Barry | :37:51. | :37:55. | |
McGuigan. The list is not quite endless. But the marketing | :37:55. | :38:00. | |
opportunity is. It is a lost opportunity to market the greatest | :38:00. | :38:07. | |
tourism assets. The Ulster Unionist slogan would not be our place, our | :38:07. | :38:17. | |
:38:17. | :38:23. | ||
time but our place, our time, our By the way, a thought on joined up | :38:23. | :38:27. | |
government which is something that we need to be better at. We are | :38:27. | :38:31. | |
getting major sports teams, they are getting millions of pounds to | :38:31. | :38:35. | |
improve their facilities and that is great, but they will move their | :38:36. | :38:40. | |
headquarters to Windsor Park where a stadium is redeveloped. Why do we | :38:40. | :38:46. | |
not have a look at the current premises? The old home of Thomas | :38:46. | :38:53. | |
Andrews. Look at what we have covered up behind us. It can be | :38:53. | :38:58. | |
part of Titanic Belfast. It can also become the much needed | :38:58. | :39:02. | |
footballer museum that we need to celebrate and commemorate what we | :39:02. | :39:12. | |
:39:12. | :39:22. | ||
Let me turn to the future of the Union. Charles Handy tells a story | :39:22. | :39:26. | |
about a particular type of fraud and that if you put it in a pan of | :39:26. | :39:32. | |
cold water and bring it to the boil, the creature will die because he | :39:32. | :39:36. | |
does not spot that the environment is changing and not in a good way. | :39:36. | :39:41. | |
That is a lesson for Unionism in 2012. Having seen off the threat of | :39:41. | :39:45. | |
Irish nationalism, it would be careless to say the least, to | :39:45. | :39:49. | |
ignore threats emerging from elsewhere. I can give you an | :39:49. | :39:53. | |
example of how the union is changing. In 1939, Neville | :39:53. | :40:00. | |
Chamberlain took the UK to war with Germany. Neville Chamberlain was a | :40:00. | :40:06. | |
Member of Parliament for Birmingham. In 2012, Birmingham and Edgbaston | :40:06. | :40:13. | |
was represented by somebody of German origin. A German-born member | :40:13. | :40:15. | |
of the Labour Party and democratically elected by the | :40:15. | :40:21. | |
people of Birmingham. Nobody saw that coming in 1939. They did not | :40:21. | :40:24. | |
see a situation where the population of England second city | :40:24. | :40:29. | |
would move rapidly to a position where the majority of non-white | :40:29. | :40:35. | |
people would have their roots in other ethnicities and would be | :40:35. | :40:37. | |
comfortable defining themselves as British rather than English. The | :40:37. | :40:42. | |
implications of this environment will evolve as the debate on | :40:42. | :40:47. | |
Scottish independence developed. As good citizens we need to find | :40:47. | :40:50. | |
meaningful ways to engage with that new generation of British | :40:50. | :41:00. | |
citizenship. A generation with whom and military history. People that | :41:00. | :41:02. | |
do not necessarily born with us because of our contribution to the | :41:02. | :41:07. | |
armed forces in the world wars. People that understand little about | :41:07. | :41:13. | |
the Ulster Division's. The 36 Ulster Division was defined by men | :41:13. | :41:19. | |
willing to lay down their lives for Ulster. That was part of their | :41:19. | :41:24. | |
solemn covenant. But in 1912 they had little idea that the | :41:24. | :41:27. | |
environment would change quickly and drastically and that they would | :41:27. | :41:34. | |
end up laying down their leads, fighting alongside so many people | :41:34. | :41:39. | |
in the 16th Irish division. We need to connect with a new generation of | :41:39. | :41:44. | |
Britain. We need to engage with them and tell them our story and | :41:44. | :41:48. | |
understand how they view the Union. And inform them that his party has | :41:48. | :41:52. | |
got more than 100 years in delivering this sort of government | :41:52. | :41:56. | |
that they seek. A government fair, tolerant and respectful of all | :41:56. | :42:06. | |
:42:06. | :42:12. | ||
I was born as a unionist. I remember waiting for the national | :42:12. | :42:17. | |
anthem at the last show of the cinema. I was brought up to believe | :42:17. | :42:21. | |
with the importance of honouring obligations and responsibilities | :42:21. | :42:27. | |
instead of just my rights. Earning money, contributing and not just | :42:27. | :42:34. | |
taking. Republicans tried to brand unionism as reactionary. Not all | :42:34. | :42:42. | |
stay Unionism. It is open, liberal and progressive. -- Ulster Unionism. | :42:42. | :42:47. | |
Let's look back further than 100 years. Look at the values of | :42:47. | :42:54. | |
Frances Hutchinson born in 1864. One of the most forward thinkers in | :42:54. | :42:59. | |
Western civilisation. He promoted the Enlightenment, supported the | :43:00. | :43:03. | |
individual and encouraged the individual to focus on his or her | :43:03. | :43:10. | |
responsibilities as well as their rights. His thinking formed the | :43:10. | :43:14. | |
French Revolution, American independent and the United Irishmen. | :43:14. | :43:20. | |
Andrew Jackson, 7th President of America and one of their most | :43:20. | :43:26. | |
influential. His parents came from Ireland in the 17 60s and he led | :43:26. | :43:31. | |
the drive that brought America the Democratic Party and with it, and | :43:31. | :43:36. | |
end of the elite. It is a political philosophy that I can support. | :43:36. | :43:46. | |
:43:46. | :43:49. | ||
Are want to cover two areas, dealing with the past and education. | :43:49. | :43:54. | |
Both are keys to enable our society to move forward with all boats | :43:54. | :44:00. | |
rising. In education, I believe we have a choice. Allow the debate to | :44:00. | :44:04. | |
stay focused on the contested ground up post primary transferred, | :44:04. | :44:09. | |
or move on to a bigger debate. Some have heard me say in the past, we | :44:09. | :44:14. | |
need to start asking a different question of our children. Instead | :44:14. | :44:18. | |
of asking our intelligence are you? And measuring it in academic | :44:18. | :44:24. | |
ability in English and science, we need to ask in what ways are you | :44:24. | :44:29. | |
intelligent? And in embracing the full range of talents, it is | :44:30. | :44:34. | |
thinking inspired by Professor Ken Robinson in Liverpool. Since I | :44:34. | :44:39. | |
started talking that way, I have heard others using the same phrase, | :44:39. | :44:47. | |
although some substitute the word clever for intelligence. There is | :44:47. | :44:51. | |
more room for agreement than we might think, superficially. You | :44:51. | :44:58. | |
have heard Danny on opposition paper in education. Every year, | :44:58. | :45:03. | |
some children, our children, leave school without basic numeracy and | :45:03. | :45:09. | |
literacy skills. Lost opportunities, conference. How on earth do we | :45:09. | :45:13. | |
expect them to fulfil their potential, get the job they are | :45:13. | :45:18. | |
worthy of, seek the lifestyle of their choice, without the ability | :45:18. | :45:23. | |
to read and write? One small suggestion, there is a scheme we | :45:23. | :45:28. | |
can import from the USA, it is called Baulk buddies. Primary | :45:28. | :45:32. | |
school children spend time with older children, under controlled | :45:33. | :45:37. | |
conditions, they talk and read to youngsters. The outcomes, which are | :45:37. | :45:47. | |
:45:47. | :45:49. | ||
measured up show literacy levels blossom and they have found a new | :45:49. | :45:52. | |
sense of purpose in their lives. It is a winning situation. | :45:52. | :46:02. | |
:46:02. | :46:07. | ||
Ice sends the details to the Education Minister months ago. -- I | :46:07. | :46:12. | |
cent. I am still waiting for a reply. If we have responsibility | :46:12. | :46:22. | |
:46:22. | :46:23. | ||
for education we would look at education. We would argue for funds | :46:23. | :46:28. | |
including the �18 million in the Social Investment Fund and Europe. | :46:28. | :46:35. | |
I don't think anybody takes a university degree and then take a | :46:35. | :46:37. | |
postgraduate certificate in education because they expect after | :46:38. | :46:42. | |
four years in the classroom they can retire as millionaires. They do | :46:42. | :46:47. | |
it because they believe in it. Let us read them up from this | :46:47. | :46:52. | |
increasingly high accountability and notice the environment, let | :46:52. | :47:02. | |
:47:02. | :47:10. | ||
And their teachers teach, and let children learn, not least about who | :47:10. | :47:14. | |
they are and what they might become an do for the new Northern Ireland. | :47:14. | :47:24. | |
:47:24. | :47:28. | ||
The Troubles had caused lost opportunities. With weak are to | :47:28. | :47:33. | |
tackle the issues of the past, we must realise there is much more to | :47:33. | :47:38. | |
the challenge of truth and justice. There are those lost opportunities | :47:39. | :47:42. | |
with education, employment and health, savings and pensions, in | :47:42. | :47:46. | |
short - for quality of life. The legacy of the past is everywhere | :47:46. | :47:53. | |
and it emerges most poisonously in sectarianism. If we are going to | :47:53. | :47:59. | |
deal with sectarianism, we must build a sure -- shared future. It | :47:59. | :48:05. | |
does not mean you have to lose your identity or where you're sports | :48:05. | :48:15. | |
:48:15. | :48:17. | ||
team top to the pub. But it is all team shirts are welcome. It is | :48:17. | :48:21. | |
about generating the spirit of generosity we saw from the Royal | :48:21. | :48:26. | |
Black Institution. It is the spirit of generosity that Cardinal Sean | :48:26. | :48:31. | |
Brady demonstrated when he spoke to us at the Ulster Unionist | :48:31. | :48:36. | |
headquarters. The cardinal chose the Queen and her visit to Dublin | :48:36. | :48:42. | |
as an example of generous, open leadership. That leaves the | :48:42. | :48:47. | |
narrower but important round of truth and justice. What we have yet | :48:47. | :48:51. | |
to agree is what we are trying to achieve and for whose benefit. | :48:51. | :48:58. | |
Currently, we examine specific incidents in forensic detail. We | :48:58. | :49:04. | |
have public inquiries, ombudsman, coroners courts. It adds up to an | :49:04. | :49:09. | |
incomplete and in perfect set of processes. Worse, as the files that | :49:09. | :49:15. | |
get open our state files and the witnesses called 10 to beat state | :49:15. | :49:24. | |
representatives, it is in ballast and often rewriting history, and I | :49:24. | :49:34. | |
:49:34. | :49:37. | ||
say no to that, conference. That is a red line for us. I say, Ulster | :49:37. | :49:43. | |
Unionist Party has no problem saying thank you to the RUC and | :49:43. | :49:53. | |
:49:53. | :50:04. | ||
What ever needed fixing in this country in 1968, or 1969, no one | :50:04. | :50:14. | |
:50:14. | :50:14. | ||
needed to die. The legacy also leaves Republican ex-prisoners at | :50:14. | :50:21. | |
the heart of Government, while the loyalists have left them behind. I | :50:21. | :50:26. | |
will help any ex-prisoner and any associated prisoner group, if they | :50:26. | :50:30. | |
are genuine about using their commitments and energy positively | :50:30. | :50:35. | |
for the benefit of their community. I want the paramilitary groups to | :50:35. | :50:40. | |
go away, and I want ex-prisoner groups to go away to become | :50:40. | :50:45. | |
community groups. I do acknowledge this journey has begun. I question, | :50:45. | :50:50. | |
how healthy is it for someone to define themselves primarily as an | :50:50. | :50:54. | |
ex-prisoner, 18 years after the ceasefires? I want them to tell me | :50:54. | :50:59. | |
what they want to be, not what they were then. I also hear what ex- | :50:59. | :51:04. | |
prisoners say about not being able to go away. Politicians make it | :51:04. | :51:07. | |
commitments in the Belfast Agreement and some linger, | :51:08. | :51:12. | |
unfulfilled in 2012. I promised to work to close the gap and there is | :51:12. | :51:19. | |
a Rover apiece. We must grow the capacity of our community to move | :51:19. | :51:29. | |
:51:29. | :51:33. | ||
So, in conclusion. I am drawn to the words of Isaac Newton, he of | :51:33. | :51:39. | |
the fallen apple. He said, "if I have seen further it is by standing | :51:39. | :51:45. | |
on the shoulders of giants". Next weekend we all have the opportunity | :51:45. | :51:50. | |
to stand on the shoulders of the giants of Unionism. Please do not | :51:50. | :51:55. | |
waste the chance to revisit the thinking of 100 years ago that | :51:55. | :52:02. | |
resonates in Northern Ireland today. So, as I finish, do not applaud me, | :52:02. | :52:12. | |
:52:12. | :52:13. | ||
I applaud the giants who offer us their shoulders. A colossus and | :52:13. | :52:19. | |
efficient Government, and Carson, the leader. Let me repeat his | :52:19. | :52:26. | |
vision, the vision of a Government at Stormont. Let me pitch it as an | :52:26. | :52:30. | |
imitation for the pro-union citizens who currently seek no one | :52:30. | :52:36. | |
or no party to vote for. If this is their vision, then together we can | :52:36. | :52:41. | |
change this Government, change it forecasts and's vision for Stormont | :52:41. | :52:46. | |
to set up a good Government, if their Government and an honest | :52:47. | :52:52. | |
Government. A Government, not for sections or factions, but a | :52:52. | :52:57. | |
Government fall. That was his vision then, that is my vision | :52:57. | :53:05. | |
today. And that is the Ulster Unionists vision, always. | :53:05. | :53:15. | |
:53:15. | :53:18. | ||
Mike Nesbitt's first speech as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. | :53:18. | :53:24. | |
We have lost the applause for a moment or two. His wife embracing | :53:24. | :53:34. | |
:53:34. | :53:41. | ||
him. John McCallister, his deputy applauding. Sir Reg Empey. And | :53:41. | :53:45. | |
obviously the audience pleased with what they heard. Rick Wilford is | :53:45. | :53:50. | |
with me. We will talk over these pictures. He is speaking to people | :53:50. | :53:55. | |
in the audience. The delegates are on their feet. They seem pretty | :53:55. | :54:00. | |
enthusiastic. There wasn't an almost amount of applause to rugby | :54:00. | :54:05. | |
almost 45 minutes he spoke for? you measure his speech by the | :54:05. | :54:10. | |
number of times audience applause enthusiastically, then on that | :54:10. | :54:16. | |
measure it has not been a successful speech. Let's talk to | :54:16. | :54:23. | |
Mark Davenport, your impressions? It was a smooth delivery, as you | :54:23. | :54:28. | |
would expect from a former broadcaster. The question is, | :54:28. | :54:34. | |
whether it impassioned the audience. He sketched out various ideas, but | :54:34. | :54:38. | |
we were looking for the coherence, unique selling point. I'm joined by | :54:38. | :54:48. | |
:54:48. | :54:48. | ||
a couple of Ulster Unionists. It Jim Nicholson, Joy Rolston who was | :54:48. | :54:52. | |
elected last time round. Mike Nesbitt at fell out with Lord | :54:52. | :54:56. | |
Maginnis, what do make of what you heard just now? I think it has been | :54:56. | :55:03. | |
an excellent speech. Tremendous delivery as we would expect from | :55:03. | :55:09. | |
Mike Nesbitt. But it is the content and that it is were not only the | :55:09. | :55:12. | |
Ulster Unionist Party is looking at the past, yes we have been involved | :55:12. | :55:16. | |
in the past, but we are looking for the future because that is the | :55:16. | :55:21. | |
challenge ahead for all of us in politics. We are rolling out a new | :55:21. | :55:28. | |
ideas all the time. Joy Rolston, you still have a long way to go | :55:28. | :55:35. | |
before you clawback from the DUP, the dominant party. Has he got the | :55:35. | :55:42. | |
support? Uley have to listen to the party this morning. Mike is a | :55:42. | :55:45. | |
fantastic leader, he is the leader of the party chose and I have | :55:45. | :55:48. | |
confidence in what he is doing with the party to rebuild the confidence | :55:48. | :55:53. | |
and the confidence of the people. Those are the people we are voting | :55:53. | :56:03. | |
:56:03. | :56:03. | ||
for us. I have all confidence in him. Back to the studio. | :56:03. | :56:07. | |
It is interesting to pick up on what they were saying. Obviously | :56:07. | :56:11. | |
they were pleased, you wouldn't expect them to say anything other | :56:11. | :56:17. | |
than that. What about the Colonel of the policy changes Mike Nesbitt | :56:17. | :56:21. | |
wants to drive through. Was there anything left out from that | :56:21. | :56:27. | |
substantial speech? It was a long speech. Broad sketches rather than | :56:27. | :56:32. | |
detail. But that is fair enough. In terms of the detail we did get, it | :56:32. | :56:38. | |
sounded to me like a man in favour of sound economics, encouraging | :56:38. | :56:43. | |
local business, that will be the saviour of Northern Ireland's | :56:43. | :56:48. | |
economy. He conceded the point on corporation tax, it does not look | :56:48. | :56:53. | |
like it is going anywhere. He has nailed his colours to the mast on | :56:53. | :57:02. | |
that. PCS the solution in small businessmen and women? -- he sees | :57:02. | :57:10. | |
the solution. In France, a century ago, you rely on small businesses, | :57:10. | :57:15. | |
the local manufacturer at the end of the street. That seemed to be | :57:15. | :57:22. | |
his view, you stimulate the local economy by investing in them. We | :57:22. | :57:27. | |
need a bigger vision than that. It is a modest vision, it is rather a | :57:27. | :57:32. | |
parochial vision. The party faithful were leap to their feet | :57:32. | :57:37. | |
and applaud, but is it something that will inspire and motivate? I | :57:37. | :57:42. | |
am not sure about that. Did it surprising he did not talk more | :57:42. | :57:46. | |
about the Department for regional development, which is the Ministry | :57:46. | :57:50. | |
his department controls. He talked about infrastructure and the need | :57:50. | :58:00. | |
:58:00. | :58:00. | ||
for change. But then he went to it to talk about education? | :58:00. | :58:03. | |
thought the regional development minister's Collor would be felt. He | :58:03. | :58:10. | |
did talk about plan B, but regional development is a department, if not | :58:10. | :58:18. | |
the department responsible for infrastructure and Investment. I | :58:18. | :58:23. | |
find that most peculiar. He said he wasn't going to talk a lot about | :58:23. | :58:32. | |
history and 100 years ago, but talk about the future. We had a lot of | :58:32. | :58:37. | |
history? We started with the past, we ended with the past and that | :58:37. | :58:42. | |
contradicted about what he said about the next 100 years. That it | :58:42. | :58:46. |