:00:25. > :00:29.Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Ulster Unionist
:00:30. > :00:32.party conference, the first of the season for the main parties here.
:00:33. > :00:35.The annual get together is happening this year in a hotel in South
:00:36. > :00:39.Belfast. Right now delegates are getting ready for the appearance of
:00:40. > :00:42.the party leader Mike Nesbitt who will be delivering the keynote
:00:43. > :00:52.speech and we will cover that live on this programme. At the moment
:00:53. > :00:56.they're hearing from their MEP, Jim Nicholson. There have been
:00:57. > :01:00.presentations on the economy and child protection, a debate which has
:01:01. > :01:05.taken sometime, we may have an opportunity to hear some of that
:01:06. > :01:09.later. Danny Kennedy has also been talking. Mike Nesbitt is expected to
:01:10. > :01:12.take to the podium in about 15 minutes. Some commentators have said
:01:13. > :01:17.this could be the most important speech he will ever make. Let's
:01:18. > :01:23.explore why that's the case with my guest, a Professor of politics at
:01:24. > :01:28.Queens university. This time last year we were waiting for his first
:01:29. > :01:32.conference speech as leader. A lot of people are saying this one is
:01:33. > :01:36.potentially even more important. Why so? Partly because last year's
:01:37. > :01:40.speech was so backward looking and there was little that was
:01:41. > :01:45.progressive in it and in that respect he has to recapture that
:01:46. > :01:50.image that he had carefully nurtured during the course of the leadership
:01:51. > :01:55.campaign. There is a sense that the UUP has lost a sense of direction
:01:56. > :01:59.and a sense of purpose. He has to stamp that kind of vision he may
:02:00. > :02:04.have firmly on the party so it's got to be much more forward looking this
:02:05. > :02:08.time. He did say it would take two electoral cycles for the party to
:02:09. > :02:11.recover lost ground. There is a lot of that. We are into the first of
:02:12. > :02:14.those cycles for the European election coming up in May, possibly
:02:15. > :02:22.alongside local Government elections. So it's critical that the
:02:23. > :02:28.UUP does well and Jim Nicholson retains his seat. If he were not to
:02:29. > :02:32.do so and that hinges on whether they'll run two candidates, if he
:02:33. > :02:38.fails to be re-elected that will be a mortal blow to the party. And to
:02:39. > :02:44.Nesbitt's leadership of that party. So he has got to give a sense of
:02:45. > :02:48.real purpose, real direction. A kind of real moral compass. It will be
:02:49. > :02:53.interesting to see the extent to which he might round on his
:02:54. > :02:57.unionist, as it were, family members in the shame of the DUP, whether he
:02:58. > :03:06.will launch an attack there against a background of unionist
:03:07. > :03:10.co-operation, earlier this year in the Mid-Ulster by-election or on
:03:11. > :03:13.Sinn Fein. We will to see where that balance might lie in his speech. The
:03:14. > :03:19.interesting thing is that when he was taking over as leader a year, 18
:03:20. > :03:23.months ago people thought he had the Midas touch and all the party needed
:03:24. > :03:28.to do to recover was to appoint Mike as the leader. That's proven not to
:03:29. > :03:32.be the case. His personal ratings are significantly lower than the
:03:33. > :03:39.party's ratings. The party is about 10%, he is on under 5%. That's bad
:03:40. > :03:43.news. As a leader you need to have a very clear image and positive image
:03:44. > :03:49.and one that bestrides the party. I don't think that's happening. It's
:03:50. > :03:54.only fractionally ahead of the Alliance Party. I think David Ford's
:03:55. > :04:02.image and persona, partly because he is a Minister, his perception and
:04:03. > :04:05.profile is higher than Mike Nesbitt's. Compared to being a
:04:06. > :04:16.Minister that may be a tactical error I think, because a party
:04:17. > :04:20.leader does need to be seen to be leading. Maybe he will announce
:04:21. > :04:25.today that he is going to succeed Danny Kennedy as Minister prior to
:04:26. > :04:34.the next Assembly election. There's been speculation about that, who
:04:35. > :04:37.would succeed Danny Kennedy at the Executive table. Do you think that's
:04:38. > :04:41.the only option open to Mike Nesbitt? He will have to, the party
:04:42. > :04:45.is so far behind, it's slipped. It's lost so many voters. They need to
:04:46. > :04:50.see somebody leading who has a higher profile and a Ministerial
:04:51. > :04:56.seat is the obvious place to do that. A final thought before we hear
:04:57. > :04:59.from Mark at the conference, Mike Nesbitt will be brimming with
:05:00. > :05:03.confidence. He is a confident figure. He has a lot of self-belief,
:05:04. > :05:07.that's fine but for a lot he sometimes doesn't hit the target.
:05:08. > :05:11.What are you expecting? I think he needs to set out a clear course, a
:05:12. > :05:14.direction for the party that is distinctive, particularly in a
:05:15. > :05:19.context where there are so many competing unionist parties. He needs
:05:20. > :05:22.to carve out a piece of ground, electoral ground, on the basis of
:05:23. > :05:28.electoral appeal that's going to try to send differences and splintering
:05:29. > :05:32.which is occurring within the unionist family. We will hear more
:05:33. > :05:37.from you. Thank you for now. Let's hear from our man at the conference.
:05:38. > :05:43.Our political editor, Mark Davenport. What's the mood, nervous
:05:44. > :05:48.anticipation, expectation? Well, I think they seem to be pretty upbeat
:05:49. > :05:51.here. You tend to get this with conferences, parallel realities in
:05:52. > :05:55.terms of what's going on with the party faithful inside and then what
:05:56. > :06:01.the situation is outside. I have to say they are appearing upbeat. They
:06:02. > :06:06.seem more united than ever. We have had so many conferences in which we
:06:07. > :06:08.have been talking about the split between one wing or other of the
:06:09. > :06:25.party. They've now a situation where they've had the exodus of Basil
:06:26. > :06:28.McCrea and John McCalmister. -- McCallister. They don't have the
:06:29. > :06:31.critical mass to make up the difference in future elections
:06:32. > :06:35.against the DUP. That's the challenge they face. But in terms of
:06:36. > :06:39.the mood here I would have to say so far they seem fairly happy with
:06:40. > :06:43.their position and with their leader. They've lost a few
:06:44. > :06:49.significant figures in the past 12 months. Presumably those names are
:06:50. > :06:55.unlikely to be mentioned from the platform yesterday and today? I am
:06:56. > :07:02.not expecting any name checks whatsoever for Basil, John or David.
:07:03. > :07:04.I think the feeling is that is now all water under the bridge and
:07:05. > :07:10.they're looking towards this next election. As Rick was saying in the
:07:11. > :07:14.studio, it's a vital election, the European election for a number of
:07:15. > :07:17.reasons to the Ulster Unionist, not just in terms of their standing but
:07:18. > :07:21.also in terms of the whole financial structure of the party. They are
:07:22. > :07:25.quite dependent now on the money that Jim Nicholson brings in, in
:07:26. > :07:28.terms of party allowances, so it will be a big blow if they lost
:07:29. > :07:33.ground. They're hopeful because they've had this tactical victory in
:07:34. > :07:37.relation to the Maze that they may actually even be coming in ahead as
:07:38. > :07:42.they did before the DUP and that some of the threat of the DUP
:07:43. > :07:46.running two candidates and pushing the Ulster Unionists out has
:07:47. > :07:48.completely gone off the table. That will be their view but there are a
:07:49. > :07:51.number of reasons why this is definitely a crunch election for
:07:52. > :07:56.Mike Nesbitt, the first that he will be leading the party in. Obviously,
:07:57. > :08:01.aside from the European election, there is also elections to the new
:08:02. > :08:05.councils in shadow form, so it involves grass roots as well as Jim
:08:06. > :08:10.Nicholson at the European end. Do you think he will launch an attack
:08:11. > :08:17.today on Sinn Fein or Peter Robinson and the DUP? I think it's going to
:08:18. > :08:20.probably be the DUP. We have to remember this comes against the
:08:21. > :08:27.backdrop of that business of the letter from America and Peter
:08:28. > :08:32.Robinson's u-turn over the peace centre that Mike Nesbitt believes
:08:33. > :08:36.his party position was crucial in bringing about. He was talking to me
:08:37. > :08:39.yesterday for a programme and he was hinting that he is going to have an
:08:40. > :08:43.initiative around the legacy of the Troubles and dealing with mental
:08:44. > :08:49.health and that's his alternative to the Maze peace centre, so looking
:08:50. > :08:53.out for an announcement on that. We will come back and hear from you in
:08:54. > :09:01.due course. Maybe you will have guests for us. Earlier today the UUP
:09:02. > :09:06.Minister Danny Kennedy spoke to delegates. Just like Ulster rugby,
:09:07. > :09:10.the Ulster Unionist party is really moving confidently in the right
:09:11. > :09:16.direction. It's hard to remember, conference, a time when us Ulster
:09:17. > :09:31.Unionists had been so together and the DUP so divided. It's clear to me
:09:32. > :09:33.that the tide is turning. APPLAUSE
:09:34. > :09:38.In the past at times of difficulty people have turned to the Ulster
:09:39. > :09:42.Unionist party for pragmatism and leadership. As a growing feeling
:09:43. > :09:47.that the public mood is moving in that direction again. After ten
:09:48. > :09:52.years of watching reruns of DUP-Sinn Fein circus at Stormont, the clowns
:09:53. > :09:57.have lost their appeal. With their poking each other in public and
:09:58. > :10:04.giggling about it in private. They've long since to -- in the
:10:05. > :10:09.cycle of politics we have seen the two larger parties grow lazy and
:10:10. > :10:15.arrogant. Who could forget the attitude of John So What O Dowd? Or
:10:16. > :10:20.the disgraceful behaviour of the DUP leadership and MLAs towards Jim
:10:21. > :10:28.Alistair over a family bereavement and a will? It's time to remind the
:10:29. > :10:32.people... APPLAUSE
:10:33. > :10:35.There is another way. There is alternative leadership for Northern
:10:36. > :10:41.Ireland. We never stopped being on stand-by and we are hungry to step
:10:42. > :10:45.in. The Ulster Unionist party and the SDLP, I believe, have the
:10:46. > :10:50.capacity to work together effectively once again, to provide
:10:51. > :10:54.lasting stability, to provide leadership, and once again to
:10:55. > :11:00.provide the solid centre foundations to build a better future for
:11:01. > :11:06.everyone, motivated by one thing - doing what's right for Northern
:11:07. > :11:09.Ireland. APPLAUSE
:11:10. > :11:13.That was Danny Kennedy talking to delegates a short time ago. Let's
:11:14. > :11:19.head back to South Belfast and hear from our political editor who has
:11:20. > :11:26.guests with him. Yes, I am joined by a couple of the
:11:27. > :11:31.MLAs at the Assembly. You are both very welcome to the programme.
:11:32. > :11:34.Danny, we have been hearing from Danny Kennedy, your Minister there.
:11:35. > :11:39.How much longer do you think he should be kept in the job, should
:11:40. > :11:42.there be rotation soon? The Belfast Telegraph has been doing a poll
:11:43. > :11:46.saying Mike Nesbitt doesn't have the recognition factor of some other
:11:47. > :11:49.leaders, should he be moved in? I think it's a decision for Mike.
:11:50. > :12:01.Danny is doing a fantastic job. As we heard in his speech, all things,
:12:02. > :12:07.there is a mass he is doing well. We should only move him when the time
:12:08. > :12:11.is right. Mike has phenomenal recognition. We have unity that's
:12:12. > :12:16.pulling us together. You have a happier conference than so many have
:12:17. > :12:20.been to and we have a mass of councillors, next year we should see
:12:21. > :12:25.Jim Nicholson winning and doing well and more councillors. Danny making
:12:26. > :12:28.the point there that you have a auto night -- united conference but
:12:29. > :12:32.that's because you have lost a wing of your party are you slipping below
:12:33. > :12:36.the critical mass level? Definitely not. From this morning they were
:12:37. > :12:42.queuing to get in to this conference. The renewed vigour
:12:43. > :12:46.within the party, we are a strong team. From grass roots level, we
:12:47. > :12:52.have the biggest membership of any other party. Look around at the
:12:53. > :12:57.amount of young unionists, come to my constituency, Danny has given his
:12:58. > :13:00.constituency a plug. The amount of enthusiasm and interest in the party
:13:01. > :13:05.like never before and it's a great time. You are not fearful you have
:13:06. > :13:10.lost touch with the liberal unionists? Absolutely not. I am a
:13:11. > :13:14.liberal unionist and we all are. If you see the grass roots and the
:13:15. > :13:20.people that are coming back to us, spend a day in my constituency...
:13:21. > :13:27.Well, I do get there occasionally. You are classically a moderate
:13:28. > :13:33.unionist. The Maze peace centre, have you not leapfrogged the DUP? I
:13:34. > :13:36.don't think that's anything to do with liberal unionism, that was a
:13:37. > :13:42.decision that was utterly wrong. When you are a unionist and you
:13:43. > :13:45.listen to the police, the UDR and everyone else, that was the wrong
:13:46. > :13:51.decision. He led there, we all had petitions, that's nothing do to do
:13:52. > :13:55.with liberal. Some things I am left on, some things I am right on. We
:13:56. > :14:00.have a good party working together and you change things within, not
:14:01. > :14:03.but having a grump and leaving. Your interest has been organ donation,
:14:04. > :14:09.you have a private members' bill going through. Annoyed Alistair Ross
:14:10. > :14:13.is saying he will have a competing bill that will not go for our
:14:14. > :14:16.opt-out system? I have led with this. It was never in the programme
:14:17. > :14:23.for Government. I am glad I have brought this to this point. I have
:14:24. > :14:25.20 years' experience with my own son of organ donation, I have charities
:14:26. > :14:31.behind me and the Ulster Unionist party are leading and Alistair's
:14:32. > :14:35.free to do whatever he wants. I know I am leading with this. You are
:14:36. > :14:38.hopeful your bill will make it into law? Very much so. I am presenting
:14:39. > :14:43.to a committee on Wednesday and with results of my consultation that I
:14:44. > :14:48.revealed earlier, over 1300 people replied. I am confident, this is a
:14:49. > :14:54.deeply personal issue for me. I am not Johnny come lately to this, I
:14:55. > :14:59.have been involved for 20 years. And with personal experience, I am
:15:00. > :15:02.leading with this. In terms of consultations you are interested
:15:03. > :15:07.obviously as education spokesman in the consultation on primary school
:15:08. > :15:11.funding. You think John O Dowd is going to have to back down? He
:15:12. > :15:14.started backing down, which is fantastic, we have to get him to
:15:15. > :15:18.back down a lot more. They didn't even take part in our debate on
:15:19. > :15:25.consultation which would have shown him lots of the points. I have
:15:26. > :15:28.People still don't know about it on the ground and yet he is asking
:15:29. > :15:31.vital questions as to how do you finance schools into the future and
:15:32. > :15:35.ignoring having a good chance to talk to the population. There was a
:15:36. > :15:42.hint, you referred to it there, about new roads proposals, the A26
:15:43. > :15:47.and it will affect to some extent your area, there's going to be an
:15:48. > :15:50.announcement? We all need roads. I am pushing him, I know he is
:15:51. > :15:56.listening on improving the airport but that A26 opens up North Antrim
:15:57. > :16:05.and linkses everything together and it will lift one great chunk of
:16:06. > :16:10.Northern Ireland. At the last election, you had a common
:16:11. > :16:16.candidate, a unity candidate. In these new elections, is there so
:16:17. > :16:20.much difference between the two parties 's there is a lot of
:16:21. > :16:26.difference. We have the largest membership. We have so much trust in
:16:27. > :16:31.the community. It is all about grassroots level. If you had so much
:16:32. > :16:36.trust, you would be the main party. Well, watch this space. Can't wait
:16:37. > :16:43.to get on the doorsteps again. Could you not get lost in all the
:16:44. > :16:48.different parties? There are lot. I have been round all the doors. The
:16:49. > :17:00.message we are getting is that we are fed up with them.
:17:01. > :17:06.Reverse the Rick Wilford is with me, and we will go shortly to live
:17:07. > :17:12.pictures from the conference hall, at the hotel in south Belfast. Mike
:17:13. > :17:21.Nesbitt, the party leader, is due to address delegates shortly. And this
:17:22. > :17:26.could be Mrs Mike Nesbitt, who is going to introduce her husband. Such
:17:27. > :17:30.a warm reception. One of the positives of the Ulster Unionist
:17:31. > :17:33.Party is that you showed -- you sure know how to make a girl feel
:17:34. > :17:40.welcome, so thanks for that. I want to mention a couple of friends, if I
:17:41. > :17:43.may. Many of you will know that there is a woman who is normally
:17:44. > :17:59.here. She is a legend, by the name of Myrtle Cook. My husband is never
:18:00. > :18:02.done telling people that he was a schools international athlete. But
:18:03. > :18:08.when it comes to canvassing, Myrtle, in spite of giving him a few years'
:18:09. > :18:19.advantage, leaves him in her shadow. So we miss Myrtle today and we wish
:18:20. > :18:23.her well. You will all also know the other absent friend today. I am
:18:24. > :18:34.referring to this party's Chief Whip, Robins one, -- Robin Swan. The
:18:35. > :18:39.Swan family are in hospital today in Birmingham. They have been there for
:18:40. > :18:47.a few weeks. I understand that Evan, in Irish, means young warrior,
:18:48. > :18:49.and he is certainly that, because he battles the complications that
:18:50. > :18:55.require really complex surgery and medical attention. The difficulties
:18:56. > :18:59.of the Swan family are compounded by being separated by the Irish sea
:19:00. > :19:02.from their natural network of support here in Northern Ireland, as
:19:03. > :19:09.well as from their young daughter at home. This is the situation this
:19:10. > :19:13.family find themselves in. It illustrates why so many of you in
:19:14. > :19:18.this room find it regrettable that the department of Health sends
:19:19. > :19:23.children to England for cardiac procedures long after an independent
:19:24. > :19:27.assessment in Belfast found that a procedures were safe and that
:19:28. > :19:33.surgical procedures should have resumed. I know that Robin and Jenny
:19:34. > :19:37.are for Evan to come safely through his stay in hospital, but they also
:19:38. > :19:41.pray that their experience will encourage the Department of Health
:19:42. > :19:45.to look again at the impact of what they are doing. There is an old
:19:46. > :19:54.saying that if you don't have your health, you have nothing, and I know
:19:55. > :19:58.that very well. I regularly talk about my own experience of poor
:19:59. > :20:04.mental health. A long time ago now, but the memory never leaves you. Far
:20:05. > :20:08.too many of our citizens in Northern Ireland and your poor mental health
:20:09. > :20:15.today. That is why I am delighted that you are about to hear a truly
:20:16. > :20:20.major proposal to tackle the trauma that is endemic in our society. I am
:20:21. > :20:24.conscious that the only thing standing between you and that
:20:25. > :20:29.announcement is me, so I am going to finish now. Ladies and gentlemen,
:20:30. > :20:31.please welcome my husband, the MLA for Strangford and the leader of the
:20:32. > :21:00.Ulster Unionist Party, Michael Nesbit. -- Nesbitt. Mike Nesbitt is
:21:01. > :21:03.just approaching the stage, being embraced by his wife Linda, who has
:21:04. > :21:09.just introduced him. He is making his way up to the platform, and she
:21:10. > :21:15.makes her way back presumably to the front row. Jim Nicholson uploading.
:21:16. > :21:25.There is a clenched fist from Mike Nesbitt. He is encouraging delegates
:21:26. > :21:37.to take a seat. Good afternoon, conference. When we say never,
:21:38. > :21:47.never, never, never am a wee mean never, ever, ever, ever, ever.
:21:48. > :22:01.Of course, other brands of unionism are available, like the one that did
:22:02. > :22:05.the deal to get into power in 2007. We never did hear what the deal was,
:22:06. > :22:13.did we? I don't know about you, but I would like to know. So reveal the
:22:14. > :22:19.deal, DUP. I don't see the benefit for unionism. In fact, I am not sure
:22:20. > :22:26.I see any benefit from Northern Ireland, so I would like to know. I
:22:27. > :22:37.do know this. I see the benefit in this man, Jim Nicholson. Jim has
:22:38. > :22:44.unprecedented expertise in Europe. He has status in Europe, he has a
:22:45. > :22:47.contact book in Europe, and at a time of continuing uncertainty about
:22:48. > :22:53.our future in Europe, we should all be delighted that Jim is ready to go
:22:54. > :22:56.back to Brussels after next year's election and continue to do what is
:22:57. > :23:05.right from Northern Ireland in Europe. Thank you, Jim.
:23:06. > :23:14.Jim Nicholson stood firm against the so-called peace Centre at the Maze.
:23:15. > :23:23.You stood firm, and innocent victims stood firm, even when Northern
:23:24. > :23:31.Ireland's First Minister said we all needed to be taken away by men in
:23:32. > :23:35.white coats. That was the widows of murdered police officers he was
:23:36. > :23:42.talking about. That was the RUC George Cross and the UDR regimental
:23:43. > :23:48.Association and prison officers and thousands of innocent victims he
:23:49. > :23:54.said needed taking away by men in white coats. And one of his DUP
:23:55. > :23:57.colleagues called us nutters. And the deputy first minister was no
:23:58. > :24:02.better. He said we were in league with extreme loyalist. Are you
:24:03. > :24:07.extreme loyalists? I think not. And yet these are the politicians that
:24:08. > :24:11.the voters put their trust in two years ago. These are the leaders of
:24:12. > :24:17.the parties that voters have trusted at the ballot box for many years
:24:18. > :24:22.now, but don't you sense that people want change? Don't you get the
:24:23. > :24:27.feeling it is time for parties who will take the sponsor ability as
:24:28. > :24:31.well as taking power -- take responsibility? To those who are fed
:24:32. > :24:35.up with bad decisions and badly timed decisions and a lack of
:24:36. > :24:49.decisions, I say this. There is a better way, and it is called doing
:24:50. > :24:54.what is right for Northern Ireland. It is what we do. We did it a
:24:55. > :24:58.hundred years ago to ensure that there was a Northern Ireland. We did
:24:59. > :25:02.it again 15 years ago to ensure that there was a Northern Ireland with a
:25:03. > :25:06.chance of building a batter and peaceful future, and we are ready to
:25:07. > :25:09.do it again, because Northern Ireland, once again, needs a
:25:10. > :25:14.prounion party at the heart of government that will put the country
:25:15. > :25:25.first and do what is right for the people, taking responsibility and
:25:26. > :25:28.not just taking power. It is what we did with the so-called peace Centre
:25:29. > :25:34.at the Maze. That proposal was wrong, because it put too much
:25:35. > :25:38.emphasis on the victim makers, and it trampled on the sensitivities of
:25:39. > :25:45.those they hurt. Our focus must always be on those who were given no
:25:46. > :25:48.choice about becoming a victim. Let me address some points to
:25:49. > :25:53.Republicans on dealing with the past. To Gerry Adams, who says he
:25:54. > :25:57.was never in the IRA, to Gerry Kelly, who shot a prison warden in
:25:58. > :26:02.the head but said it was not an act of terrorism, and to Martin
:26:03. > :26:06.McGuinness, who told the ?200 million suppling choir and there are
:26:07. > :26:11.parts of his past he will never discuss "under any circumstances" ,
:26:12. > :26:17.to Messrs Adams, Kelly, McGuinness and the rest, I have a simple
:26:18. > :26:22.message. You are not always right, you know, and you will not always
:26:23. > :26:34.get your way, because we are not going away.
:26:35. > :26:40.And we know how to fight a successful campaign. We forced Peter
:26:41. > :26:44.Robinson into a massive U-turn on the Maze, and we did it without a
:26:45. > :26:49.riot, without a strict protest, without so much as a white line
:26:50. > :26:55.protest. We used brains and not drawn, and that is the way forward
:26:56. > :27:05.for Northern Ireland. -- brains and not brawn. We did it over the Maze,
:27:06. > :27:10.and we did it over a scandalous set of teaching notes about the hunger
:27:11. > :27:16.strikes. For those who missed it, a constituent approach to and Dobson,
:27:17. > :27:20.with teaching notes for a book. We have no difficulty with the book. It
:27:21. > :27:24.was the notes that were the problem. The book was about the hunger
:27:25. > :27:28.strikes, but the notes suggested that children should start thinking
:27:29. > :27:32.of Northern Ireland in comparison with Nazi Germany or apartheid South
:27:33. > :27:35.Africa. They want on to suggest that you were on holiday somewhere and
:27:36. > :27:40.you said to somebody, I am British, but you live on the island of
:27:41. > :27:43.Ireland, they would laugh at you. And the note suggested that the sons
:27:44. > :27:50.and daughters of prison officers were ashamed that their fathers
:27:51. > :27:57.worked at her Majesty 's risen Maze. Wrong, wrong, wrong. We forced
:27:58. > :28:11.a rethink, and we forced a rewrite. Thank you, Joanne. And there is
:28:12. > :28:16.another fight we are committed to. We will resist with every brain cell
:28:17. > :28:19.we have the Republican campaign for equivalence. The notion that there
:28:20. > :28:25.is no difference between a dead IRA man and a murdered police officer or
:28:26. > :28:29.a soldier is wrong, abhorrent and has nothing to do with the spirit of
:28:30. > :28:34.mutual trust we signed up to in 1998. What are some Republicans
:28:35. > :28:41.refuse to acknowledge as they rush to try and rewrite history is that
:28:42. > :28:45.they had a choice. I was born just in time to live through the
:28:46. > :28:47.Troubles. It was a time of civil rights movements in the United
:28:48. > :28:52.States as well as here, student riots in Paris and the rest. There
:28:53. > :28:57.was a common thread, which was that people were trying to transform the
:28:58. > :29:02.state they lived in, not destroy it. The civil rights movement was
:29:03. > :29:08.cynically exploited by those looking for any excuse to terrorise Unionism
:29:09. > :29:14.into surrender. If I forever associate a united Ireland with no
:29:15. > :29:20.events like Bloody Sunday and the rest, is that my fault? Republicans
:29:21. > :29:25.chose that it should be that way. And of course, the Belfast agreement
:29:26. > :29:31.enshrines their right to persuade me I would better -- be better off out
:29:32. > :29:34.of the UK, but all available data suggests very few on either side of
:29:35. > :29:37.the divide are so persuaded. Frankly, I believe history will
:29:38. > :29:46.record that among the many things the IRA do away was the chance for a
:29:47. > :29:48.united Ireland. By contrast, in a few months' time, Scottish
:29:49. > :29:54.Nationalists will see a referendum on Scottish independence. Not a gun
:29:55. > :29:59.discharged, not a bomb detonated, not a single act of terror required,
:30:00. > :30:03.and yet in securing a referendum on independence, Scottish Nationalists
:30:04. > :30:16.have achieved more peacefully than Irish republicans have ever done.
:30:17. > :30:21.Republicans chose violence. And let us not be afraid to remind a new
:30:22. > :30:25.generation that has little or no interest in these matters that
:30:26. > :30:30.Republicans killed 60% of those who died in the Troubles. Loyalists
:30:31. > :30:31.accounted for a further 30%, so there isn't anything approaching
:30:32. > :30:37.equivalents even in the number of deaths, never mind the motivation.
:30:38. > :30:42.The Ulster Unionist Party will not stand idly by as others attempt to
:30:43. > :30:48.rewrite history and paint the state and its agents as the villains. That
:30:49. > :30:53.simply is not what happened. People made choices to try to defend the
:30:54. > :30:58.state or to try to destroy it. The bottom line for me is this. There is
:30:59. > :31:04.no difference between the Al-Qaeda attacks of 9/11 on the United
:31:05. > :31:11.States, the IRA's Enniskillen bomb or the Omagh bomb. They were all
:31:12. > :31:23.acts of terrorism, and all terrorism is wrong, period, end of. What is
:31:24. > :31:28.missing in the Maze debate at the moment is an alternative to the
:31:29. > :31:31.peace Centre. Today, I want to offer that alternative to you, an
:31:32. > :31:37.alternative that will address the hidden legacy of the Troubles, which
:31:38. > :31:44.is poor mental health and well-being. I am sorry to report, we
:31:45. > :31:47.are world leaders in this field. So, having created the mental health
:31:48. > :31:56.problem, let us commit to fixing it. This is Michael Turner did to
:31:57. > :32:02.the Maze. -- my alternative to the Maze. Let us create an international
:32:03. > :32:06.mental health facility that will be a global centre of excellence to
:32:07. > :32:21.help those who suffer trauma, whatever the cause. I am talking
:32:22. > :32:27.about being the best in the world. Having spent 45 years creating more
:32:28. > :32:32.post traumatic stress sufferers per head than any other country on the
:32:33. > :32:35.globe let us build a legacy project. Let us commit to helping restore
:32:36. > :32:40.good mental health and well-being to our people and not least the young
:32:41. > :32:44.who self-harm to the point of suicide and be in no doubt, people
:32:45. > :32:49.born after the ceasefires are among those suffering the trauma of the
:32:50. > :32:55.legacy of our Troubles. Let us do it for them. But also let us raise our
:32:56. > :32:59.vision. Let us raise it above the problems of the moment here. The
:33:00. > :33:03.world's been very generous to us with its commitment, its support and
:33:04. > :33:09.money. So let us repay the world with a centre that will offer help
:33:10. > :33:14.and hope to everybody. Let Northern Ireland become known as the go-to
:33:15. > :33:19.place for soldiers traumatised in war, for children traumatised by a
:33:20. > :33:23.gun attack on their school campus and to survivors of train and plane
:33:24. > :33:27.crashes. Making Northern Ireland the world leader for trauma care would
:33:28. > :33:32.be a fitting legacy project, not just for our strens, but -- citizens
:33:33. > :33:39.but for the world. Let me be clear to you, when it comes to our past
:33:40. > :33:46.this centre is for everyone. Even those for whom we may feel little or
:33:47. > :33:52.no sympathy. It is for everyone, including those whose poor mental
:33:53. > :33:59.health may be a consequence of making bad decisions. Please support
:34:00. > :34:12.me in an international mental health centre, conference.
:34:13. > :34:16.APPLAUSE Thank you, I appreciate it. That
:34:17. > :34:21.leaves location and I want to be clear I am open to debate about this
:34:22. > :34:24.and wherever it is, some people will be happy to travel, others will need
:34:25. > :34:28.our experts to travel to them, that's the nature of mental health
:34:29. > :34:33.issues. But on location, here's a thought, and it is no more than a
:34:34. > :34:39.thought, a number of years ago the Assembly bought a building called
:34:40. > :34:44.Ormiston, it's in public ownership already. We own it but it's lying
:34:45. > :34:49.empty. It has about 15,000 square feet and is set on 13 acres. In
:34:50. > :34:53.other words, it's the ideal shell. It could certainly be developed for
:34:54. > :34:57.a fraction of the 18 million euro the European Union set aside for the
:34:58. > :35:01.peace centre at the Maze. Now, obviously you would need local
:35:02. > :35:07.buy-in from residents but whether it's there or not, the international
:35:08. > :35:10.mental health centre is a proper legacy project that can unite our
:35:11. > :35:19.people and give thousands of our citizens the hope they so badly need
:35:20. > :35:29.that their dark days can be over. APPLAUSE
:35:30. > :35:34.Victims and survivors need hope. We all need hope. We need fair
:35:35. > :35:39.Government and we need responsible Government. And that's not what we
:35:40. > :35:41.are seeing from the Sinn Fein-DUP carve-up at the heart of our
:35:42. > :35:44.Government today. There's nothing responsible about reducing
:35:45. > :35:48.18-year-old women to tears because they think they're going to be
:35:49. > :35:53.thrown out of their care homes. There's nothing responsible about
:35:54. > :35:57.ignoring the defamation act that protects freedom of speech, there's
:35:58. > :36:00.nothing responsible about a power grab to take control of economic
:36:01. > :36:05.planning powers. It looks as if that power grab isn't even legal. There's
:36:06. > :36:09.nothing responsible about denying our people the people who live and
:36:10. > :36:13.work in Northern Ireland, the full protections of the National Crime
:36:14. > :36:17.Agency, especially when we are more aware than ever before we have a
:36:18. > :36:22.problem with human trafficking. There's nothing responsible about an
:36:23. > :36:24.irrationale blood ban or the Education Minister's attempt to
:36:25. > :36:29.change the common funding scheme in a way that will rob 80% of our
:36:30. > :36:33.primary schools of funds. Money the head teachers tell me they need for
:36:34. > :36:38.the most vulnerable in our classrooms, including those with
:36:39. > :36:41.special educational needs. The Education Minister says he is
:36:42. > :36:47.consulting the people on the funding scheme. Yeah, with three days'
:36:48. > :36:56.notice, a public meeting he called in Omagh, so four people turn up.
:36:57. > :37:01.That, conference is no way to run a country.
:37:02. > :37:05.APPLAUSE The Ulster Unionist party does not
:37:06. > :37:09.believe in doing business like that. We want to do what's right for
:37:10. > :37:14.Northern Ireland and that means being fair to everybody. And it also
:37:15. > :37:19.means taking the responsibility that goes with the power. The failure of
:37:20. > :37:24.Sinn Fein and the DUP is easily summarised, their first response,
:37:25. > :37:28.their default position when it goes wrong - shift the blame. I want a
:37:29. > :37:32.Government that accepts responsibility when it goes wrong
:37:33. > :37:39.and just gets on with finding a fix for the people. Everybody needs
:37:40. > :37:45.hope. Hope that better days are ahead. When I was a guest speaker at
:37:46. > :37:48.the West Belfast Speaks Out this year I was surprised by the reaction
:37:49. > :37:53.to my opening statement, I thought I was stating no more than the obvious
:37:54. > :37:58.by confirming that any unionist who thinks we are going back to old
:37:59. > :38:04.style unionist majority rule is badly mistaken. Those days are over.
:38:05. > :38:09.In fact, I said so in my speech to up this time last year, and I
:38:10. > :38:14.happily repeat it if it helps, the future is about building a warm
:38:15. > :38:29.house for every section of our society. It means a society where we
:38:30. > :38:33.can all aspire equally to a better quality of life, to a higher
:38:34. > :38:38.standard of living, to be healthy, to be happy, and to have hope and to
:38:39. > :38:43.take pride, pride in who we are. That's what I want for my children,
:38:44. > :38:47.for your children, for the children of nationalists, republicans or
:38:48. > :38:53.ethnic minorities, for everybody. We have lagged and lagged behind GB for
:38:54. > :38:57.too long in terms of prosperity. Politicians talk about the economy,
:38:58. > :39:02.what it comes down to is how much cash you have in your back pocket or
:39:03. > :39:06.your wallet or purse. And compared to too many other regions of the UK
:39:07. > :39:14.the answer is simply not enough. Our average wage is ?22,000. In Great
:39:15. > :39:19.Britain, it's ?28,000. So we need to raise our sights. I want our average
:39:20. > :39:24.wage up there with the rest and we need to remember we have done it
:39:25. > :39:28.before. Our past has moments of economic glory, as well as of
:39:29. > :39:35.terrorist shame. As I said previously, 100 years ago Titanic
:39:36. > :39:39.Belfast was the Silicon Valley of its day. Leaders in technology,
:39:40. > :39:44.admired and envied for all the right reasons. And in those days we didn't
:39:45. > :39:48.need a block grant or intervention from Westminster, we were net
:39:49. > :39:55.contributors to the finances of the UK Government. And I would love us
:39:56. > :40:00.to try to get back there again. Just try, because even in the effort we
:40:01. > :40:05.will transform how we view ourselves. I am talking about
:40:06. > :40:11.restoring ambition, determination, and, above all, pride in who we are
:40:12. > :40:22.and what we do. Because I am proud to be Northern Irish.
:40:23. > :40:27.APPLAUSE We need to remind ourselves what we
:40:28. > :40:31.have achieved in business, the world-class feats and invention and
:40:32. > :40:36.engineering and in manufacturing. We need to go again with our sights on
:40:37. > :40:41.another golden era for our economy. And remember we are a nation of
:40:42. > :40:44.small businesses. Foreign direct investment is worth chasing and it's
:40:45. > :40:49.worth celebrating when it comes and stays. And I applaud every
:40:50. > :40:53.successful inward investment the devolved Government has secured. But
:40:54. > :40:57.that activity will never replace our own home grown talent. The Ulster
:40:58. > :41:02.Unionist party has a heart and it beats to the rhythm of local
:41:03. > :41:11.businesses. And my message to local business people is this - we will
:41:12. > :41:16.support you ever more. APPLAUSE
:41:17. > :41:21.We will support, we will listen, and we will react positively. You create
:41:22. > :41:25.wealth, you bring the new jobs, your determination means there's money
:41:26. > :41:30.circulating the high streets and you provide the tax revenue that funds
:41:31. > :41:36.our schools and our hospitals and our roads. Peter Robinson and Martin
:41:37. > :41:45.McGuinness travel seeking inward investment and right too, a but what
:41:46. > :41:50.is the easiest market to tap into? It's our own 3 billion a year
:41:51. > :41:53.procurement budget. Between the Executive and our local councils we
:41:54. > :42:01.have 3 billion a year to spend and if you are looking for a pot of
:42:02. > :42:05.money to use to boost the local economy, the answer is here on our
:42:06. > :42:12.doorstep and I have yet to meet a local business person who thinks we
:42:13. > :42:14.could in the do more to sweat that budget to the advantage of our
:42:15. > :42:20.people. Let us look at the measures we want to surround our big idea of
:42:21. > :42:24.corporation tax. Let us be bold in offering more support to local
:42:25. > :42:29.business. In terms of procurement, rates, tax credits, energy supplies,
:42:30. > :42:34.and assistance to develop infrastructure. Let us, above all,
:42:35. > :42:38.start trusting ourselves and fostering pride and ambition. It is
:42:39. > :42:45.time to consign the era where paperwork and red tape and process
:42:46. > :42:50.are King to the shredder. Let us drive down costs and drive up
:42:51. > :42:53.demand. There are entrepreneurs out there, all around Northern Ireland.
:42:54. > :43:00.This support, this party will support you all to the hilt. Let us
:43:01. > :43:02.bring Silicon Valley back to Belfast.
:43:03. > :43:14.APPLAUSE The commitment card that you have
:43:15. > :43:17.been hearing about makes clear education is our number one
:43:18. > :43:20.priority. Too many of our young people are leaving school without
:43:21. > :43:25.the qualifications they need to build a successful future. And in
:43:26. > :43:32.too many cases it is not their fault. It's our fault. Of course we
:43:33. > :43:35.also have high achievers, as Charles Dickens might have put it to go to
:43:36. > :43:39.school in Northern Ireland today might mean the best of times or the
:43:40. > :43:43.worst of times. The challenge is to fix it for those enduring the worst
:43:44. > :43:49.of times. The answer is not to attack those enjoying the best. Sinn
:43:50. > :43:55.Fein's relentless assault on grammar schools is pure ideology. When he
:43:56. > :43:59.was Education Minister Martin McGuinness commissioned a survey of
:44:00. > :44:03.post-primary education. It was, in his own words, the largest
:44:04. > :44:10.consultation ever undertaken on an education issue. That was October
:44:11. > :44:15.2001. 12 years ago. And while it made clear a majority of households
:44:16. > :44:19.didn't like the 11-Plus as the transfer test, the results were
:44:20. > :44:24.equally clear in reflecting support for the principle of selection.
:44:25. > :44:29.Martin McGuinness simply ignored the latter. If you believe, as I do,
:44:30. > :44:35.that every child is unique, that inside every child is a spark of
:44:36. > :44:39.creatively, ability and talent, that may find its voice equally in the
:44:40. > :44:44.science labs or music room, on the sports fields or at a computer, then
:44:45. > :44:49.we must cherish all those talents and we must provide a curriculum
:44:50. > :44:55.that will develop every scrap of talent in every child and provide
:44:56. > :45:01.space for all to flourish. The legacy of the decision to abolish
:45:02. > :45:04.the 11-Plus without agreeing a way forward continues to poison
:45:05. > :45:07.education in Northern Ireland. As Sinn Fein remain fixated on the
:45:08. > :45:14.signs that hang over the entrance doors to our schools. An Ulster
:45:15. > :45:19.Unionist Education Minister would refocus on pupils and the parents
:45:20. > :45:33.and teachers walking in and out of those doors. Conference, we want the
:45:34. > :45:38.education ministry. APPLAUSE
:45:39. > :45:43.And if we get it, we will not bring back the 11-Plus, because it asked
:45:44. > :45:46.the wrong question, it asked of a child how intelligent are you? Wrong
:45:47. > :45:50.child. The right question is in what ways are you intelligent and how can
:45:51. > :45:56.we help you develop? Funnily enough the two guiding principles of Martin
:45:57. > :45:59.McGuinness survey those years ago were each young person should be
:46:00. > :46:03.valued equally and all young people should be able to develop their
:46:04. > :46:08.talents to the full. So we do agree when you strip away the ideology. If
:46:09. > :46:15.you think Sinn Fein are not politicising the class room, here
:46:16. > :46:19.are two facts. The department spent thousands on a consultation, a
:46:20. > :46:24.Strang to -- strategy to tackle the problem so many face in literacy and
:46:25. > :46:27.numeracy, but in the same year they consulted onned a review of Irish
:46:28. > :46:34.medium education, something of interest to comparatively few. And
:46:35. > :46:41.yet the Irish language consultation cost 46 6,428 over twice the cost of
:46:42. > :46:57.the literacy and numeracy review. That is wrong in any language. The
:46:58. > :47:01.words I want to hear from an Ulster Unionist Party Education Minister
:47:02. > :47:06.are simple. As our commitment card says, we will let teachers teach.
:47:07. > :47:09.They will ring out the best in every child who walks through the front
:47:10. > :47:14.door of every school, no exceptions, boy, girl, urban, rural, rich or
:47:15. > :47:23.poor. We will support and empower them, because they are our own. I
:47:24. > :47:27.want a single education system. I know there are others who have said
:47:28. > :47:32.the same thing, but no one has done anything about it, so give us the
:47:33. > :47:35.ministry, and we will. Give the Ulster Unionist Party responsibility
:47:36. > :47:49.for the Department of education, and we will start that process on day
:47:50. > :47:54.one. That will be 100 years too late. The evidence is stark. Our
:47:55. > :47:59.first Education Minister wanted to single -- a single education system
:48:00. > :48:03.in the 1920s, but he was thwarted all stock 45 years ago, the Belfast
:48:04. > :48:08.Telegraph published an opinion poll. 65% of young people wanted to
:48:09. > :48:14.end segregation in primary school education. 70% wanted secondary
:48:15. > :48:18.education to be mixed. That was in 1968. How often will the mood of the
:48:19. > :48:29.people be ignored by those in charge? It is the right hand to do
:48:30. > :48:34.it, because it is the right thing to do. At conference last year, I said
:48:35. > :48:41.I wanted my leadership to tackle sectarianism, the toxic legacy of
:48:42. > :48:48.our Troubles. Educating our children together, from the age of four, will
:48:49. > :48:54.inoculate them against the poison of sectarianism. I can put it no more
:48:55. > :48:58.simply than that. I challenge the Catholic Church and all churches and
:48:59. > :49:02.all interest groups, tell me what your problem is with a single
:49:03. > :49:08.education system, because I cannot see an issue we cannot resolve. If
:49:09. > :49:15.there is something that works for your sector, I want it for all of
:49:16. > :49:18.our children. Earlier this year, we produced the commitment card. This
:49:19. > :49:23.morning, you heard what it means to some of our younger members. I see
:49:24. > :49:27.it as a first step. The next is to learn from history and let the card
:49:28. > :49:33.developed and evolved into a pledge. 100 years ago, Edward Carr,
:49:34. > :49:39.Sir James Craig and company came up with a covenant. It had a specific
:49:40. > :49:44.purpose and it was for a defined target audience, the prounion people
:49:45. > :49:53.of this island. So it was, if you like, exclusive in that it excluded
:49:54. > :49:59.the pro United citizens of Ireland. It is time for a new covenant. But
:50:00. > :50:03.this time, and inclusive one for everybody, unionist, nationalist,
:50:04. > :50:07.Republican. As leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, I want to agree a
:50:08. > :50:11.new covenant with the people of Northern Ireland, a covenant that
:50:12. > :50:16.recognises that we can do better for all our people I shaping a fairer
:50:17. > :50:20.education system, a stronger economy, better housing and a health
:50:21. > :50:24.service not only free at the point of delivery, but with delivery
:50:25. > :50:30.points that are accessible and appropriate to the needs of our
:50:31. > :50:35.people. These changes will improve our quality of life, increase our
:50:36. > :50:40.standard of living and give us hope and confidence that we can do even
:50:41. > :50:47.better. At conference last year, I also said I wanted my leadership to
:50:48. > :50:53.be by tackling child poverty and deprivation. This covenant between
:50:54. > :50:59.us and the people can do that. If we are all feeling better, doing better
:51:00. > :51:03.and aspiring to better, the future will replace the past is the place
:51:04. > :51:17.to be -- as the place to be. I say this to the prounion
:51:18. > :51:22.community. It is time to get on the front foot. It is time to be
:51:23. > :51:26.confident, but also to be generous and demonstrate a generosity of
:51:27. > :51:31.spirit. I am not the sort of Unionist who feels threatened. I
:51:32. > :51:35.subscribe to the paraphrase of the poet John Hewitt, who talked about
:51:36. > :51:43.himself as British, an Irishman and a European. It is more complicated,
:51:44. > :51:46.but a more honest worldview than the old orange/ green
:51:47. > :51:51.Protestant/Catholic. It is where I am. I am an Ulsterman and I am also
:51:52. > :51:55.British, but I don't want to decide on my Irishness. It is the sort of
:51:56. > :51:59.Irishness that makes me think very unchristian thoughts when the rugby
:52:00. > :52:03.team are in Dublin will stop but I am also proud to share that identity
:52:04. > :52:08.with the ethnic minorities around the UK. And I am also European,
:52:09. > :52:15.particularly when the Ryder Cup is an TV. In conclusion, what I offer
:52:16. > :52:20.is this, an international mental health centre that will be a fitting
:52:21. > :52:25.legacy, offering practical help to those worst impacted by our
:52:26. > :52:28.Troubles, something that will help many get back to work and we gain
:52:29. > :52:33.the sense of purpose in their lives that they lost the day the Troubles
:52:34. > :52:38.came knocking on their door. I offer most just the vision, but the
:52:39. > :52:43.determination to create a single education system, starting the very
:52:44. > :52:49.day we take the ministry. And I offer a new covenant for all our
:52:50. > :52:54.people, dedicated to doing better and doing what is right for the
:52:55. > :52:58.education, the economy, health and housing, to give all our people
:52:59. > :53:03.higher standards of living. It is not a covenant we expect to be
:53:04. > :53:19.signed at City Hall. If you want to support it, all you have to do is
:53:20. > :53:24.vote Ulster Unionist Party. Northern Ireland lost one of its global
:53:25. > :53:29.figures this year in Seamus Heaney. With his indulgence, I would rather
:53:30. > :53:32.leave the last word to another great poet from these shores, John
:53:33. > :53:43.Hewitt, who I just referenced. John Hewitt said this. Patriotism has to
:53:44. > :53:50.do with keeping the country in good heart, the community governed with
:53:51. > :53:55.justice and mercy. Be in good heart, conference. And next time you
:53:56. > :54:01.go to the polls, encourage your friends and neighbours to demand
:54:02. > :54:05.justice, to demand mercy and to demand responsible government. And
:54:06. > :54:10.remember, those values can only be delivered by a party that puts
:54:11. > :54:24.Northern Ireland first and does what is right for Northern Ireland. Thank
:54:25. > :54:27.you very much. STUDIO: so, not surprisingly, Mike Nesbitt gets an
:54:28. > :54:34.enthusiastic response from the delegates in Belfast. The loud rock
:54:35. > :54:38.music kicks in in the background, and you can see people on their
:54:39. > :54:43.feet, applauding. And he is acknowledged in that response. And
:54:44. > :54:51.his wife is embracing him. Let's hear from Rick Wilford, who has been
:54:52. > :54:54.following that speech with me. Rick, we said earlier that many
:54:55. > :54:59.commentators said this was the most important speech of Mike Nesbitt's
:55:00. > :55:03.career so far. Did he rise to the occasion? I don't think he did. I
:55:04. > :55:08.thought it was a flat, modelled speech. I thought it was confused.
:55:09. > :55:11.The one thing that stood out is his proposition that there should be
:55:12. > :55:17.this legacy centre to deal with mental trauma not just from within
:55:18. > :55:25.more than Ireland, but a centre that is open to all. Frankly, everyone
:55:26. > :55:28.knows mental health services are poorly resourced. It is the
:55:29. > :55:33.Cinderella end of our health and social services test. But goodness
:55:34. > :55:39.me, I wonder how much research has gone into this idea and whether it
:55:40. > :55:42.has been mooted with health care professionals not just within
:55:43. > :55:45.Northern Ireland, but across the water, too. The other thing that
:55:46. > :55:51.stood out was something he mentioned back in March at the AGM, which was,
:55:52. > :55:54.give us the educational tools, and we will do the job will stop it is
:55:55. > :56:01.not a case of giving them to them. They could have said, we would have
:56:02. > :56:10.liked to have had the education brief back in 2011. That didn't
:56:11. > :56:13.happen. And this idea of a covenant, perhaps an unfortunate
:56:14. > :56:20.term to use in the context of Northern Ireland. It seemed to mean
:56:21. > :56:23.that a covenant equalled a programme for government. We have got a
:56:24. > :56:29.programme for government. Do we need a covenant that tries to encourage
:56:30. > :56:33.as to be a society more at ease with itself? I don't think so. That is to
:56:34. > :56:39.do with leadership in all the parties to do with the extent that
:56:40. > :56:44.there is or isn't a consensus. Let me interrupt you briefly. Our
:56:45. > :56:49.political editor has been joined by the deputy leader of the Ulster
:56:50. > :56:53.Unionist Party, Danny Kennedy. Mark, I imagine that Danny Kennedy is
:56:54. > :57:03.fairly enthusiastic about it, but what did you think, first? It was
:57:04. > :57:07.obvious what the headline was meant to be, the International Centre for
:57:08. > :57:11.mental health. It was clear not only from Mike Nesbitt's speech but from
:57:12. > :57:16.the way his wife Linda gave it the big build-up, that that was what
:57:17. > :57:19.they were going for. In terms of whether that will capture wider
:57:20. > :57:23.support, it will be interesting to see, because if it is put up as an
:57:24. > :57:28.alternative to the Maze peace centre, people may dig their heels
:57:29. > :57:31.in and say, what is that about? I am joined by Danny Kennedy. What did
:57:32. > :57:36.you make of the speech and that headline about the international
:57:37. > :57:40.mental health centre? It was a strong speech from a strong leader
:57:41. > :57:46.of a united party. The atmosphere has been electric. It is a wonderful
:57:47. > :57:50.turnout, and there is a great buzz. This party is united in a way it has
:57:51. > :57:56.not been for many years. I have been in this party nearly 40 years, and I
:57:57. > :58:01.am Boyden about -- I am confident about the way this party has come
:58:02. > :58:06.together under the leadership of Mike. It was a speech of direction
:58:07. > :58:10.and offering serious alternatives, including an international trauma
:58:11. > :58:18.centre. I am afraid we have to go back to the studio, but thank you.
:58:19. > :58:23.Rick, a sentence or two on where Mike Nesbitt goes from here? Fingers
:58:24. > :58:27.crossed, we are looking towards May and the European election, but I am
:58:28. > :58:31.not sure this will give him the wind in his sales that he needs to
:58:32. > :58:38.recover the ground the UUP have lost. That is it. The conference
:58:39. > :58:43.season is underway . Our next is on November nine, when it is the
:58:44. > :58:48.SDLP's turn in Armagh. Join me tomorrow at 11:35am, when Mike
:58:49. > :58:52.Nesbitt will be one of my guests on Sunday Politics. We will also be
:58:53. > :58:54.joined by the chief executive of cooperation in Ireland, Peter
:58:55. > :58:58.Sheridan. Until then, thanks for watching. Tomorrow morning, 11:35am,
:58:59. > :59:04.BBC One.