22/09/2012 Ulster Unionist Party Conference


22/09/2012

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Transcript


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Welcome to the programme. The Ulster Unionists have gathered at

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the Titanic Building. It is Mike Nesbitt's first conference as

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leader, and we will have live coverage of his speech, and

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comments from Rick Wilford. Mike Nesbitt, the former broadcaster won

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a decisive victory six months ago. But it has been far from plain

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sailing since then. From disaster to try and, at the

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new Titanic is a symbol of success and renewal. The Ulster Unionists

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chose it for its annual conference. Some find it a curious choice, by

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party now led by someone experienced in public relations. As

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it left the party sinking four years in the polls on the defensive.

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People like yourself have a great line. But it is a wonderful

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building. People are interested in coming in. It was on March 31st,

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Mike Nesbitt won a landslide in the leadership race, having told his

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party to judge him by his 100 days. On his first day, his first idea

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unfolded during his first BBC interview as leader. Maybe what I

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need to do is find a family that it would adopt me the 24 hours. I

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would like to live in an area of social deprivation, because it is

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important to get a feel for what it is like. By the second day, the man

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who promised a better media profile found his idea marked. Crassness.

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Although some like the idea, some felt the pressure. High-profile

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member who had fallen out with the previous leader was expelled.

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have a cardboard cut-out for a leader, no saucepans or policies.

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People regret that now. And June 13th, a party veteran, Lord

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Maginnis make controversial remarks about gay marriage. As an e-mail

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issued by Mike Nesbitt ordering no one to speak to the media without

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clearance, was leaked in minutes. There was more bad news with a poll

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suggesting the party was neck and neck with Alliance. By August 28th,

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there was no discipline for Lord Maginnis and no unity. He had quit.

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We have now seen the party under the present leadership accelerate

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its demise. I wouldn't say he has had a lot of

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bad days, he has every attributable we need. He is savvy with the media

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and the general public. I have heard nothing in this area, and I

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cover a manner and South Tyrone, and there is nothing but backing

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for the leader. Critical support from a critical constituency. But

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others say he should be worried. cannot think of one-day Mike

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Nesbitt could have said, "yes, that is it, the beginning of the

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turnaround". It has not happened. Can you think of one day he has

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impressed? I listen to one of his radio interviews when he was

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speaking about the economy, and he was very impressive. There is still

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good will towards the good leader, but there is also disappointment.

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One senior party figure told me that based on Mike Nesbitt's track

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record so far, his speech this weekend needs to be brilliant.

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would probably be the first to say he has been too cautious and I

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think we will see a change of pace. Critics say he needs to unveil

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strong policies this weekend, plus work on what they say is a lack of

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discipline and leadership. So many summed it up, he reminded him of

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the dog that chased a car, finally caught it, but has no idea what to

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do with it. But there is time to turn the ship around before the

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next critical Test - the European election in 2014.

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Martina Purdy on the challenges facing Mike Nesbitt and his party.

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Mark Davenport is at the Titanic Building. Can they should be turned

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around with the current captain at the helm? The situation is, there

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is no chance of them getting another captain any time soon. Mike

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Nesbitt won the election with a landslide. He does have more time,

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and he has a bit of time until the Northern Ireland wide election,

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although they might be a by- election in Ulster soon. In opinion

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on how he is doing with the leadership, I am joined by a man

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who did stand for the leadership initially, FC Basle. How do you

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think Mike Nesbitt is bedding in? He had the falling out with 0

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McGuinness. The acid test is coming up now. Everyone is entitled to a

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bit of time to get their feet under the table and what he will be

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saying at the table -- conference is selling division to everybody

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else and the wider country. It is not a problem people have had

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problems. That is life. It is how you deal with them and move forward.

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That is what we are all looking for. On the issue he fell out with Lord

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Maginnis, do you think he could have handled that differently and

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kept him within the camp? Lord Maginnis is a character we are all

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familiar with. He is his own man. I am not party to the Inns and outs

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of things, but what is important if you talk about a clear policy

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stands, you don't send out unclear messages on important matters, and

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the leader had to deal with it, and he dealt with it. I think Mike

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Nesbitt will be starting his speech shortly, so back to the studio.

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will get more from our political editor between now and 1pm. He will

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give us his analysis on what Mike Nesbitt has to save. We are

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expecting Mike Nesbitt to appear at the podium in the next moment or

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two. Before that, let's hear from Professor Rick Wilford from Queen's

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University. What are you expecting Mike Nesbitt to say? What are you

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looking out for in this speech, which we think will be about 35

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minutes in duration? The image of him as a leader, he has to be

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purposeful. In terms of content, we need some direction of where the

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party is going. Plus detail in relation to policy. He has to be

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able to stand there and prevent laughing of him leading a united

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party. We know there are differences and there are divisions

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in the party about what he has failed to accomplish. He has to

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encourage the troops. Whatever his message is, he has to mobilise and

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motivate the people in the audience to go out there and secured a

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greater vote, a greater share of the vote and get people to vote in

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the first place. Presumably he will want to nail the discussion that is

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happening in the wings about his leadership and his leadership

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style? He will want to give a barnstorming performance? It is at

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tub-thumper of the speech he needs, telling everybody he is in charge.

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He comes across as being a purposeful leader is important. He

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has had his tail tweaked from the margins. Almost in the shape of

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Lord Maginnis, which has gone away, almost a flash in the pan. He has

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to commend himself as an insightful leader, who has a clear image of

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what he wants to a college -- accomplished for the party. Thanks

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very much. Looking at pictures of Mike Nesbitt appearing in the

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Titanic sweet, in Titanic, Belfast. He is walking through the

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membership with his wife, the former broadcaster. Shaking hands

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and being warmly embraced by someone, not sure who that was. I

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think that it was Joy Rolston who introduced him. About 50 delegates

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for his first speech as leader of the party.

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Let's see what he has to say. Foulkes, you can clap or your life,

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you are still going to have to listen to it. German, my Lords,

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elected representatives, ladies and gentlemen. -- chairman. I imagine a

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good few of you listening to this are expecting me to start with the

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words, "looking back 100 years". I want to look the other way. Looking

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forward 100 years, what will our descendants think of us? Will they

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think as kindly of us as we think of Edward Carson and of his

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generation? Well will be honoured, celebrated and cherished as he is

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with history say that we rose to the challenge the way he did to his

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challenge. I hope so, because it is what I want for this party, of

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course, but also for this country and everyone who lives here. The

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Protestants and Catholics, Jewish people, Muslims, men, women,

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Chinese, Indian, Eastern European, this appeal is to everybody.

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De Ulster Unionist Party is not a religious organisation. We are not

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a party for Protestants. We recognise more people than ever in

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Northern Ireland embrace the benefits of being part of the

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United Kingdom, which includes the freedom to practise your religious

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beliefs. That is us. I see us as a progressive party, but above all, a

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political party, and one everybody can look to for a positive

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alternative to what is on offer today. Because that is what is

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needed today, a creditor of -- credible alternative. Edward Carson

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did not shrink from a challenge, did not squander opportunities.

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What about us? We don't have to speculate if Edward Carson would

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approve, he told us exactly how to measure success and failure in a

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speech to the House of Commons in 1920. Looking forward to a

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Government at Stormont, he said, "they must forget section and

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faction. If. Does what I asked of her and hope she does what I hope

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she will do, set up a good Government, a fair Government, and

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a Government not for sections and factions, but for all, her example

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may be followed". I liked that vision, of the Government not for

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sections or factions, but for everybody. It takes us right to the

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heart of what I want to achieve in politics, the end of sectarianism.

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Sectarianism has lasted longer than the Troubles. Think about that.

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Sectarianism is still responsible for death and injury. Sectarians

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and is dictating the pace at which we move to a truly peace situation.

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It is holding back the economy, education, health and housing. I

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once the Ulster Unionist Party to tackle that enduring legacy of our

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troubles. If you are wondering what I believe in, it is social justice.

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I would like to have a leadership role that is peaceful, law-abiding

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and fur, where everybody gets a chance. Where we show a generosity

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of spirit when we need people with a different identity or a different

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set of aspirations. If you are wondering what I want to target? It

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is sectarianism, multiple deprivation and it is poverty. If

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you are wondering why I am in politics, I told you simply - my

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father was 49 years of age the day the family business was blown up.

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Looking back it was the last day he got out of bed with a true sense of

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purpose in his life. Every day I meet young people who were looking

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for a sense of purpose in their lives, but are denied it through a

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lack of employment, poor health, education and the lack of a decent

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home. That is the challenge of political leadership. Be in no

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doubt, there is a crisis that was that -- 2012, not the same as 2000

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-- 1912. The true inheritors of the legacy of Edward Carson. Do you

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think we might relax about that for a minute and concentrate some

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contemporary issues? There is a crisis. As the unemployed if there

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is a job crisis, as parents of under-achieving children if there

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is a crisis in education. Ask the owners if there is a housing crisis.

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Asked a nurse if there is a health crisis. And ask the thousands of

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people who don't vote any more if there is a crisis in politics. The

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Ulster Unionist Party says, yes there is.

:15:14.:15:24.
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Edward Carson had an answer to the crisis of 1912, he made a pledge

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and formed a team, and that sounds like a plan to meet. Let stand up

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fearlessly and state what we stand for and ask every citizen in the

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country to join the team and fight for what is best for Northern

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Ireland and its people, and I mean all of its people. We need a Road

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Map for the way ahead for the next generations. It is a map that shows

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where we want to go and identify as the best route to get there. And

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there will be an inconvenient truth along the way. Namely, it will take

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a long time to get there, and that is a hard message for people at the

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35 years of violence and 18 years on from the ceasefire, you cannot

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expect anybody to be happy to be told it might take another 10, 15,

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20 years to fix some of our problems. But that is an

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inconvenient truth. So we must manage transition with a short-term

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steps of delivery and steps of hope. The Road Map must show how we will

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end up with better, like a single system of education which allows

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children to develop as they would in any normal society. But, without

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fear or prejudice to their face. Achieving that balance is a major

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challenge, but there are already two fundamentals we agree upon.

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Sharing is the first step. And if our children are educated

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separately and only meet in a meaningful way in their late teens,

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long after lasting friendships have been formed, we do little to tackle

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the separateness which is a breeding ground of mistrust and

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sectarianism. It is an inconvenient truth it will take time to create a

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normal society where everybody mixes, particularly in housing and

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in education. But I once for that and I want normal Government as

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well. A better Government. I have a simple request. Give us the

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opportunity and we will deliver better.

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Give us the chance and a Government that puts common sense at the heart

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of everything the Government does. Give us the opportunity and you

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will see an administration that won't waste time trying to justify

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the current system when you would be better served if we make the

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system better. I once Government that detests waste, what ever it

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may become a money, resources but above all, people's life chances.

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The greatest sin of any bad Government is it tolerates loss of

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opportunities for its people. I see those lost opportunities every day.

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So do you, 63,000 people seeking work. Children yearning for the

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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

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the Government's to do something for their grandchildren. I think we

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can. I want a Government focused on results. This mandate will focus

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administration on a better way of doing Government. As we did in the

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last 10 days when we called on an economic plan B in the wake of the

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FG Wilson disaster. My first close view of Government is when I joined

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the victims' Commission. It is what -- was not a pretty sight. There

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was an obsession with the inputs and processes of Government. The

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business people in this room will tell you, you don't spend money on

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the necessary inputs, you don't build a factory, by raw-material is

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and employ staff unless you think you have a decent chance of

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manufacturing something people will buy. And the storm and bill of

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goods is pretty thin. -- Stormont. If the Ulster Unionist Party were

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given a chance we would refocus efforts on the Abbots and incomes.

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We would give you a vision of what success looks like an use the

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resources of governments to make it happen in their area. It is a

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simple shift from writing strategies which sit up here, to

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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

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of government do you want? 18 years after BC's fire and 14 after the

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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

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and deeply unwelcome. Many of those children have at least one parent

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in work. You cannot point the finger at the family's. If the

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Ulster Unionists were in charge, we would not promised to eradicate it

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because it is not possible but we would accept a target that is

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currently missing. We would agree an absolute income level, that we

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did not want a family falling below. We would allow specific levels of

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deprivation and then targets that sector. It is not the complete

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answer and does not tackle everybody but it does help the

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: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

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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.

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In 1988, -- 1998 there were various groups going forward politically.

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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.

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But that is just the next step, not the end game. If we stick with a

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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

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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

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social economy, because we understand it. We remain resolute

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in our opinion that the biggest single change to make Stormont a

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building that delivers instead of survives, is the introduction of an

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official opposition. Let me correct a big misconception. It is not

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about the Ulster Unionists looking for a return to majority rule. I

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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

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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

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that the Ulster Unionists want money to enter opposition and that

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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

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want the opportunity to change government every few years. In a

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democracy, the official opposition is afforded the maximum opportunity

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to scrutinise the Government and offer alternatives. I want a normal

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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

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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

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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.

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