19/10/2013 Ulster Unionist Party Conference

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Ulster Unionist

party conference, the first of the season for the main parties here.

The annual get together is happening this year in a hotel in South

Belfast. Right now delegates are getting ready for the appearance of

the party leader Mike Nesbitt who will be delivering the keynote

speech and we will cover that live on this programme. At the moment

they're hearing from their MEP, Jim Nicholson. There have been

presentations on the economy and child protection, a debate which has

taken sometime, we may have an opportunity to hear some of that

later. Danny Kennedy has also been talking. Mike Nesbitt is expected to

take to the podium in about 15 minutes. Some commentators have said

this could be the most important speech he will ever make. Let's

explore why that's the case with my guest, a Professor of politics at

Queens university. This time last year we were waiting for his first

conference speech as leader. A lot of people are saying this one is

potentially even more important. Why so? Partly because last year's

speech was so backward looking and there was little that was

progressive in it and in that respect he has to recapture that

image that he had carefully nurtured during the course of the leadership

campaign. There is a sense that the UUP has lost a sense of direction

and a sense of purpose. He has to stamp that kind of vision he may

have firmly on the party so it's got to be much more forward looking this

time. He did say it would take two electoral cycles for the party to

recover lost ground. There is a lot of that. We are into the first of

those cycles for the European election coming up in May, possibly

alongside local Government elections. So it's critical that the

UUP does well and Jim Nicholson retains his seat. If he were not to

do so and that hinges on whether they'll run two candidates, if he

fails to be re-elected that will be a mortal blow to the party. And to

Nesbitt's leadership of that party. So he has got to give a sense of

real purpose, real direction. A kind of real moral compass. It will be

interesting to see the extent to which he might round on his

unionist, as it were, family members in the shame of the DUP, whether he

will launch an attack there against a background of unionist

co-operation, earlier this year in the Mid-Ulster by-election or on

Sinn Fein. We will to see where that balance might lie in his speech. The

interesting thing is that when he was taking over as leader a year, 18

months ago people thought he had the Midas touch and all the party needed

to do to recover was to appoint Mike as the leader. That's proven not to

be the case. His personal ratings are significantly lower than the

party's ratings. The party is about 10%, he is on under 5%. That's bad

news. As a leader you need to have a very clear image and positive image

and one that bestrides the party. I don't think that's happening. It's

only fractionally ahead of the Alliance Party. I think David Ford's

image and persona, partly because he is a Minister, his perception and

profile is higher than Mike Nesbitt's. Compared to being a

Minister that may be a tactical error I think, because a party

leader does need to be seen to be leading. Maybe he will announce

today that he is going to succeed Danny Kennedy as Minister prior to

the next Assembly election. There's been speculation about that, who

would succeed Danny Kennedy at the Executive table. Do you think that's

the only option open to Mike Nesbitt? He will have to, the party

is so far behind, it's slipped. It's lost so many voters. They need to

see somebody leading who has a higher profile and a Ministerial

seat is the obvious place to do that. A final thought before we hear

from Mark at the conference, Mike Nesbitt will be brimming with

confidence. He is a confident figure. He has a lot of self-belief,

that's fine but for a lot he sometimes doesn't hit the target.

What are you expecting? I think he needs to set out a clear course, a

direction for the party that is distinctive, particularly in a

context where there are so many competing unionist parties. He needs

to carve out a piece of ground, electoral ground, on the basis of

electoral appeal that's going to try to send differences and splintering

which is occurring within the unionist family. We will hear more

from you. Thank you for now. Let's hear from our man at the conference.

Our political editor, Mark Davenport. What's the mood, nervous

anticipation, expectation? Well, I think they seem to be pretty upbeat

here. You tend to get this with conferences, parallel realities in

terms of what's going on with the party faithful inside and then what

the situation is outside. I have to say they are appearing upbeat. They

seem more united than ever. We have had so many conferences in which we

have been talking about the split between one wing or other of the

party. They've now a situation where they've had the exodus of Basil

McCrea and John McCalmister. -- McCallister. They don't have the

critical mass to make up the difference in future elections

against the DUP. That's the challenge they face. But in terms of

the mood here I would have to say so far they seem fairly happy with

their position and with their leader. They've lost a few

significant figures in the past 12 months. Presumably those names are

unlikely to be mentioned from the platform yesterday and today? I am

not expecting any name checks whatsoever for Basil, John or David.

I think the feeling is that is now all water under the bridge and

they're looking towards this next election. As Rick was saying in the

studio, it's a vital election, the European election for a number of

reasons to the Ulster Unionist, not just in terms of their standing but

also in terms of the whole financial structure of the party. They are

quite dependent now on the money that Jim Nicholson brings in, in

terms of party allowances, so it will be a big blow if they lost

ground. They're hopeful because they've had this tactical victory in

relation to the Maze that they may actually even be coming in ahead as

they did before the DUP and that some of the threat of the DUP

running two candidates and pushing the Ulster Unionists out has

completely gone off the table. That will be their view but there are a

number of reasons why this is definitely a crunch election for

Mike Nesbitt, the first that he will be leading the party in. Obviously,

aside from the European election, there is also elections to the new

councils in shadow form, so it involves grass roots as well as Jim

Nicholson at the European end. Do you think he will launch an attack

today on Sinn Fein or Peter Robinson and the DUP? I think it's going to

probably be the DUP. We have to remember this comes against the

backdrop of that business of the letter from America and Peter

Robinson's u-turn over the peace centre that Mike Nesbitt believes

his party position was crucial in bringing about. He was talking to me

yesterday for a programme and he was hinting that he is going to have an

initiative around the legacy of the Troubles and dealing with mental

health and that's his alternative to the Maze peace centre, so looking

out for an announcement on that. We will come back and hear from you in

due course. Maybe you will have guests for us. Earlier today the UUP

Minister Danny Kennedy spoke to delegates. Just like Ulster rugby,

the Ulster Unionist party is really moving confidently in the right

direction. It's hard to remember, conference, a time when us Ulster

Unionists had been so together and the DUP so divided. It's clear to me

that the tide is turning. APPLAUSE

In the past at times of difficulty people have turned to the Ulster

Unionist party for pragmatism and leadership. As a growing feeling

that the public mood is moving in that direction again. After ten

years of watching reruns of DUP-Sinn Fein circus at Stormont, the clowns

have lost their appeal. With their poking each other in public and

giggling about it in private. They've long since to -- in the

cycle of politics we have seen the two larger parties grow lazy and

arrogant. Who could forget the attitude of John So What O Dowd? Or

the disgraceful behaviour of the DUP leadership and MLAs towards Jim

Alistair over a family bereavement and a will? It's time to remind the

people... APPLAUSE

There is another way. There is alternative leadership for Northern

Ireland. We never stopped being on stand-by and we are hungry to step

in. The Ulster Unionist party and the SDLP, I believe, have the

capacity to work together effectively once again, to provide

lasting stability, to provide leadership, and once again to

provide the solid centre foundations to build a better future for

everyone, motivated by one thing - doing what's right for Northern

Ireland. APPLAUSE

That was Danny Kennedy talking to delegates a short time ago. Let's

head back to South Belfast and hear from our political editor who has

guests with him. Yes, I am joined by a couple of the

MLAs at the Assembly. You are both very welcome to the programme.

Danny, we have been hearing from Danny Kennedy, your Minister there.

How much longer do you think he should be kept in the job, should

there be rotation soon? The Belfast Telegraph has been doing a poll

saying Mike Nesbitt doesn't have the recognition factor of some other

leaders, should he be moved in? I think it's a decision for Mike.

Danny is doing a fantastic job. As we heard in his speech, all things,

there is a mass he is doing well. We should only move him when the time

is right. Mike has phenomenal recognition. We have unity that's

pulling us together. You have a happier conference than so many have

been to and we have a mass of councillors, next year we should see

Jim Nicholson winning and doing well and more councillors. Danny making

the point there that you have a auto night -- united conference but

that's because you have lost a wing of your party are you slipping below

the critical mass level? Definitely not. From this morning they were

queuing to get in to this conference. The renewed vigour

within the party, we are a strong team. From grass roots level, we

have the biggest membership of any other party. Look around at the

amount of young unionists, come to my constituency, Danny has given his

constituency a plug. The amount of enthusiasm and interest in the party

like never before and it's a great time. You are not fearful you have

lost touch with the liberal unionists? Absolutely not. I am a

liberal unionist and we all are. If you see the grass roots and the

people that are coming back to us, spend a day in my constituency...

Well, I do get there occasionally. You are classically a moderate

unionist. The Maze peace centre, have you not leapfrogged the DUP? I

don't think that's anything to do with liberal unionism, that was a

decision that was utterly wrong. When you are a unionist and you

listen to the police, the UDR and everyone else, that was the wrong

decision. He led there, we all had petitions, that's nothing do to do

with liberal. Some things I am left on, some things I am right on. We

have a good party working together and you change things within, not

but having a grump and leaving. Your interest has been organ donation,

you have a private members' bill going through. Annoyed Alistair Ross

is saying he will have a competing bill that will not go for our

opt-out system? I have led with this. It was never in the programme

for Government. I am glad I have brought this to this point. I have

20 years' experience with my own son of organ donation, I have charities

behind me and the Ulster Unionist party are leading and Alistair's

free to do whatever he wants. I know I am leading with this. You are

hopeful your bill will make it into law? Very much so. I am presenting

to a committee on Wednesday and with results of my consultation that I

revealed earlier, over 1300 people replied. I am confident, this is a

deeply personal issue for me. I am not Johnny come lately to this, I

have been involved for 20 years. And with personal experience, I am

leading with this. In terms of consultations you are interested

obviously as education spokesman in the consultation on primary school

funding. You think John O Dowd is going to have to back down? He

started backing down, which is fantastic, we have to get him to

back down a lot more. They didn't even take part in our debate on

consultation which would have shown him lots of the points. I have

People still don't know about it on the ground and yet he is asking

vital questions as to how do you finance schools into the future and

ignoring having a good chance to talk to the population. There was a

hint, you referred to it there, about new roads proposals, the A26

and it will affect to some extent your area, there's going to be an

announcement? We all need roads. I am pushing him, I know he is

listening on improving the airport but that A26 opens up North Antrim

and linkses everything together and it will lift one great chunk of

Northern Ireland. At the last election, you had a common

candidate, a unity candidate. In these new elections, is there so

much difference between the two parties 's there is a lot of

difference. We have the largest membership. We have so much trust in

the community. It is all about grassroots level. If you had so much

trust, you would be the main party. Well, watch this space. Can't wait

to get on the doorsteps again. Could you not get lost in all the

different parties? There are lot. I have been round all the doors. The

message we are getting is that we are fed up with them.

Reverse the Rick Wilford is with me, and we will go shortly to live

pictures from the conference hall, at the hotel in south Belfast. Mike

Nesbitt, the party leader, is due to address delegates shortly. And this

could be Mrs Mike Nesbitt, who is going to introduce her husband. Such

a warm reception. One of the positives of the Ulster Unionist

Party is that you showed -- you sure know how to make a girl feel

welcome, so thanks for that. I want to mention a couple of friends, if I

may. Many of you will know that there is a woman who is normally

here. She is a legend, by the name of Myrtle Cook. My husband is never

done telling people that he was a schools international athlete. But

when it comes to canvassing, Myrtle, in spite of giving him a few years'

advantage, leaves him in her shadow. So we miss Myrtle today and we wish

her well. You will all also know the other absent friend today. I am

referring to this party's Chief Whip, Robins one, -- Robin Swan. The

Swan family are in hospital today in Birmingham. They have been there for

a few weeks. I understand that Evan, in Irish, means young warrior,

and he is certainly that, because he battles the complications that

require really complex surgery and medical attention. The difficulties

of the Swan family are compounded by being separated by the Irish sea

from their natural network of support here in Northern Ireland, as

well as from their young daughter at home. This is the situation this

family find themselves in. It illustrates why so many of you in

this room find it regrettable that the department of Health sends

children to England for cardiac procedures long after an independent

assessment in Belfast found that a procedures were safe and that

surgical procedures should have resumed. I know that Robin and Jenny

are for Evan to come safely through his stay in hospital, but they also

pray that their experience will encourage the Department of Health

to look again at the impact of what they are doing. There is an old

saying that if you don't have your health, you have nothing, and I know

that very well. I regularly talk about my own experience of poor

mental health. A long time ago now, but the memory never leaves you. Far

too many of our citizens in Northern Ireland and your poor mental health

today. That is why I am delighted that you are about to hear a truly

major proposal to tackle the trauma that is endemic in our society. I am

conscious that the only thing standing between you and that

announcement is me, so I am going to finish now. Ladies and gentlemen,

please welcome my husband, the MLA for Strangford and the leader of the

Ulster Unionist Party, Michael Nesbit. -- Nesbitt. Mike Nesbitt is

just approaching the stage, being embraced by his wife Linda, who has

just introduced him. He is making his way up to the platform, and she

makes her way back presumably to the front row. Jim Nicholson uploading.

There is a clenched fist from Mike Nesbitt. He is encouraging delegates

to take a seat. Good afternoon, conference. When we say never,

never, never, never am a wee mean never, ever, ever, ever, ever.

Of course, other brands of unionism are available, like the one that did

the deal to get into power in 2007. We never did hear what the deal was,

did we? I don't know about you, but I would like to know. So reveal the

deal, DUP. I don't see the benefit for unionism. In fact, I am not sure

I see any benefit from Northern Ireland, so I would like to know. I

do know this. I see the benefit in this man, Jim Nicholson. Jim has

unprecedented expertise in Europe. He has status in Europe, he has a

contact book in Europe, and at a time of continuing uncertainty about

our future in Europe, we should all be delighted that Jim is ready to go

back to Brussels after next year's election and continue to do what is

right from Northern Ireland in Europe. Thank you, Jim.

Jim Nicholson stood firm against the so-called peace Centre at the Maze.

You stood firm, and innocent victims stood firm, even when Northern

Ireland's First Minister said we all needed to be taken away by men in

white coats. That was the widows of murdered police officers he was

talking about. That was the RUC George Cross and the UDR regimental

Association and prison officers and thousands of innocent victims he

said needed taking away by men in white coats. And one of his DUP

colleagues called us nutters. And the deputy first minister was no

better. He said we were in league with extreme loyalist. Are you

extreme loyalists? I think not. And yet these are the politicians that

the voters put their trust in two years ago. These are the leaders of

the parties that voters have trusted at the ballot box for many years

now, but don't you sense that people want change? Don't you get the

feeling it is time for parties who will take the sponsor ability as

well as taking power -- take responsibility? To those who are fed

up with bad decisions and badly timed decisions and a lack of

decisions, I say this. There is a better way, and it is called doing

what is right for Northern Ireland. It is what we do. We did it a

hundred years ago to ensure that there was a Northern Ireland. We did

it again 15 years ago to ensure that there was a Northern Ireland with a

chance of building a batter and peaceful future, and we are ready to

do it again, because Northern Ireland, once again, needs a

prounion party at the heart of government that will put the country

first and do what is right for the people, taking responsibility and

not just taking power. It is what we did with the so-called peace Centre

at the Maze. That proposal was wrong, because it put too much

emphasis on the victim makers, and it trampled on the sensitivities of

those they hurt. Our focus must always be on those who were given no

choice about becoming a victim. Let me address some points to

Republicans on dealing with the past. To Gerry Adams, who says he

was never in the IRA, to Gerry Kelly, who shot a prison warden in

the head but said it was not an act of terrorism, and to Martin

McGuinness, who told the ?200 million suppling choir and there are

parts of his past he will never discuss "under any circumstances" ,

to Messrs Adams, Kelly, McGuinness and the rest, I have a simple

message. You are not always right, you know, and you will not always

get your way, because we are not going away.

And we know how to fight a successful campaign. We forced Peter

Robinson into a massive U-turn on the Maze, and we did it without a

riot, without a strict protest, without so much as a white line

protest. We used brains and not drawn, and that is the way forward

for Northern Ireland. -- brains and not brawn. We did it over the Maze,

and we did it over a scandalous set of teaching notes about the hunger

strikes. For those who missed it, a constituent approach to and Dobson,

with teaching notes for a book. We have no difficulty with the book. It

was the notes that were the problem. The book was about the hunger

strikes, but the notes suggested that children should start thinking

of Northern Ireland in comparison with Nazi Germany or apartheid South

Africa. They want on to suggest that you were on holiday somewhere and

you said to somebody, I am British, but you live on the island of

Ireland, they would laugh at you. And the note suggested that the sons

and daughters of prison officers were ashamed that their fathers

worked at her Majesty 's risen Maze. Wrong, wrong, wrong. We forced

a rethink, and we forced a rewrite. Thank you, Joanne. And there is

another fight we are committed to. We will resist with every brain cell

we have the Republican campaign for equivalence. The notion that there

is no difference between a dead IRA man and a murdered police officer or

a soldier is wrong, abhorrent and has nothing to do with the spirit of

mutual trust we signed up to in 1998. What are some Republicans

refuse to acknowledge as they rush to try and rewrite history is that

they had a choice. I was born just in time to live through the

Troubles. It was a time of civil rights movements in the United

States as well as here, student riots in Paris and the rest. There

was a common thread, which was that people were trying to transform the

state they lived in, not destroy it. The civil rights movement was

cynically exploited by those looking for any excuse to terrorise Unionism

into surrender. If I forever associate a united Ireland with no

events like Bloody Sunday and the rest, is that my fault? Republicans

chose that it should be that way. And of course, the Belfast agreement

enshrines their right to persuade me I would better -- be better off out

of the UK, but all available data suggests very few on either side of

the divide are so persuaded. Frankly, I believe history will

record that among the many things the IRA do away was the chance for a

united Ireland. By contrast, in a few months' time, Scottish

Nationalists will see a referendum on Scottish independence. Not a gun

discharged, not a bomb detonated, not a single act of terror required,

and yet in securing a referendum on independence, Scottish Nationalists

have achieved more peacefully than Irish republicans have ever done.

Republicans chose violence. And let us not be afraid to remind a new

generation that has little or no interest in these matters that

Republicans killed 60% of those who died in the Troubles. Loyalists

accounted for a further 30%, so there isn't anything approaching

equivalents even in the number of deaths, never mind the motivation.

The Ulster Unionist Party will not stand idly by as others attempt to

rewrite history and paint the state and its agents as the villains. That

simply is not what happened. People made choices to try to defend the

state or to try to destroy it. The bottom line for me is this. There is

no difference between the Al-Qaeda attacks of 9/11 on the United

States, the IRA's Enniskillen bomb or the Omagh bomb. They were all

acts of terrorism, and all terrorism is wrong, period, end of. What is

missing in the Maze debate at the moment is an alternative to the

peace Centre. Today, I want to offer that alternative to you, an

alternative that will address the hidden legacy of the Troubles, which

is poor mental health and well-being. I am sorry to report, we

are world leaders in this field. So, having created the mental health

problem, let us commit to fixing it. This is Michael Turner did to

the Maze. -- my alternative to the Maze. Let us create an international

mental health facility that will be a global centre of excellence to

help those who suffer trauma, whatever the cause. I am talking

about being the best in the world. Having spent 45 years creating more

post traumatic stress sufferers per head than any other country on the

globe let us build a legacy project. Let us commit to helping restore

good mental health and well-being to our people and not least the young

who self-harm to the point of suicide and be in no doubt, people

born after the ceasefires are among those suffering the trauma of the

legacy of our Troubles. Let us do it for them. But also let us raise our

vision. Let us raise it above the problems of the moment here. The

world's been very generous to us with its commitment, its support and

money. So let us repay the world with a centre that will offer help

and hope to everybody. Let Northern Ireland become known as the go-to

place for soldiers traumatised in war, for children traumatised by a

gun attack on their school campus and to survivors of train and plane

crashes. Making Northern Ireland the world leader for trauma care would

be a fitting legacy project, not just for our strens, but -- citizens

but for the world. Let me be clear to you, when it comes to our past

this centre is for everyone. Even those for whom we may feel little or

no sympathy. It is for everyone, including those whose poor mental

health may be a consequence of making bad decisions. Please support

me in an international mental health centre, conference.

APPLAUSE Thank you, I appreciate it. That

leaves location and I want to be clear I am open to debate about this

and wherever it is, some people will be happy to travel, others will need

our experts to travel to them, that's the nature of mental health

issues. But on location, here's a thought, and it is no more than a

thought, a number of years ago the Assembly bought a building called

Ormiston, it's in public ownership already. We own it but it's lying

empty. It has about 15,000 square feet and is set on 13 acres. In

other words, it's the ideal shell. It could certainly be developed for

a fraction of the 18 million euro the European Union set aside for the

peace centre at the Maze. Now, obviously you would need local

buy-in from residents but whether it's there or not, the international

mental health centre is a proper legacy project that can unite our

people and give thousands of our citizens the hope they so badly need

that their dark days can be over. APPLAUSE

Victims and survivors need hope. We all need hope. We need fair

Government and we need responsible Government. And that's not what we

are seeing from the Sinn Fein-DUP carve-up at the heart of our

Government today. There's nothing responsible about reducing

18-year-old women to tears because they think they're going to be

thrown out of their care homes. There's nothing responsible about

ignoring the defamation act that protects freedom of speech, there's

nothing responsible about a power grab to take control of economic

planning powers. It looks as if that power grab isn't even legal. There's

nothing responsible about denying our people the people who live and

work in Northern Ireland, the full protections of the National Crime

Agency, especially when we are more aware than ever before we have a

problem with human trafficking. There's nothing responsible about an

irrationale blood ban or the Education Minister's attempt to

change the common funding scheme in a way that will rob 80% of our

primary schools of funds. Money the head teachers tell me they need for

the most vulnerable in our classrooms, including those with

special educational needs. The Education Minister says he is

consulting the people on the funding scheme. Yeah, with three days'

notice, a public meeting he called in Omagh, so four people turn up.

That, conference is no way to run a country.

APPLAUSE The Ulster Unionist party does not

believe in doing business like that. We want to do what's right for

Northern Ireland and that means being fair to everybody. And it also

means taking the responsibility that goes with the power. The failure of

Sinn Fein and the DUP is easily summarised, their first response,

their default position when it goes wrong - shift the blame. I want a

Government that accepts responsibility when it goes wrong

and just gets on with finding a fix for the people. Everybody needs

hope. Hope that better days are ahead. When I was a guest speaker at

the West Belfast Speaks Out this year I was surprised by the reaction

to my opening statement, I thought I was stating no more than the obvious

by confirming that any unionist who thinks we are going back to old

style unionist majority rule is badly mistaken. Those days are over.

In fact, I said so in my speech to up this time last year, and I

happily repeat it if it helps, the future is about building a warm

house for every section of our society. It means a society where we

can all aspire equally to a better quality of life, to a higher

standard of living, to be healthy, to be happy, and to have hope and to

take pride, pride in who we are. That's what I want for my children,

for your children, for the children of nationalists, republicans or

ethnic minorities, for everybody. We have lagged and lagged behind GB for

too long in terms of prosperity. Politicians talk about the economy,

what it comes down to is how much cash you have in your back pocket or

your wallet or purse. And compared to too many other regions of the UK

the answer is simply not enough. Our average wage is ?22,000. In Great

Britain, it's ?28,000. So we need to raise our sights. I want our average

wage up there with the rest and we need to remember we have done it

before. Our past has moments of economic glory, as well as of

terrorist shame. As I said previously, 100 years ago Titanic

Belfast was the Silicon Valley of its day. Leaders in technology,

admired and envied for all the right reasons. And in those days we didn't

need a block grant or intervention from Westminster, we were net

contributors to the finances of the UK Government. And I would love us

to try to get back there again. Just try, because even in the effort we

will transform how we view ourselves. I am talking about

restoring ambition, determination, and, above all, pride in who we are

and what we do. Because I am proud to be Northern Irish.

APPLAUSE We need to remind ourselves what we

have achieved in business, the world-class feats and invention and

engineering and in manufacturing. We need to go again with our sights on

another golden era for our economy. And remember we are a nation of

small businesses. Foreign direct investment is worth chasing and it's

worth celebrating when it comes and stays. And I applaud every

successful inward investment the devolved Government has secured. But

that activity will never replace our own home grown talent. The Ulster

Unionist party has a heart and it beats to the rhythm of local

businesses. And my message to local business people is this - we will

support you ever more. APPLAUSE

We will support, we will listen, and we will react positively. You create

wealth, you bring the new jobs, your determination means there's money

circulating the high streets and you provide the tax revenue that funds

our schools and our hospitals and our roads. Peter Robinson and Martin

McGuinness travel seeking inward investment and right too, a but what

is the easiest market to tap into? It's our own 3 billion a year

procurement budget. Between the Executive and our local councils we

have 3 billion a year to spend and if you are looking for a pot of

money to use to boost the local economy, the answer is here on our

doorstep and I have yet to meet a local business person who thinks we

could in the do more to sweat that budget to the advantage of our

people. Let us look at the measures we want to surround our big idea of

corporation tax. Let us be bold in offering more support to local

business. In terms of procurement, rates, tax credits, energy supplies,

and assistance to develop infrastructure. Let us, above all,

start trusting ourselves and fostering pride and ambition. It is

time to consign the era where paperwork and red tape and process

are King to the shredder. Let us drive down costs and drive up

demand. There are entrepreneurs out there, all around Northern Ireland.

This support, this party will support you all to the hilt. Let us

bring Silicon Valley back to Belfast.

APPLAUSE The commitment card that you have

been hearing about makes clear education is our number one

priority. Too many of our young people are leaving school without

the qualifications they need to build a successful future. And in

too many cases it is not their fault. It's our fault. Of course we

also have high achievers, as Charles Dickens might have put it to go to

school in Northern Ireland today might mean the best of times or the

worst of times. The challenge is to fix it for those enduring the worst

of times. The answer is not to attack those enjoying the best. Sinn

Fein's relentless assault on grammar schools is pure ideology. When he

was Education Minister Martin McGuinness commissioned a survey of

post-primary education. It was, in his own words, the largest

consultation ever undertaken on an education issue. That was October

2001. 12 years ago. And while it made clear a majority of households

didn't like the 11-Plus as the transfer test, the results were

equally clear in reflecting support for the principle of selection.

Martin McGuinness simply ignored the latter. If you believe, as I do,

that every child is unique, that inside every child is a spark of

creatively, ability and talent, that may find its voice equally in the

science labs or music room, on the sports fields or at a computer, then

we must cherish all those talents and we must provide a curriculum

that will develop every scrap of talent in every child and provide

space for all to flourish. The legacy of the decision to abolish

the 11-Plus without agreeing a way forward continues to poison

education in Northern Ireland. As Sinn Fein remain fixated on the

signs that hang over the entrance doors to our schools. An Ulster

Unionist Education Minister would refocus on pupils and the parents

and teachers walking in and out of those doors. Conference, we want the

education ministry. APPLAUSE

And if we get it, we will not bring back the 11-Plus, because it asked

the wrong question, it asked of a child how intelligent are you? Wrong

child. The right question is in what ways are you intelligent and how can

we help you develop? Funnily enough the two guiding principles of Martin

McGuinness survey those years ago were each young person should be

valued equally and all young people should be able to develop their

talents to the full. So we do agree when you strip away the ideology. If

you think Sinn Fein are not politicising the class room, here

are two facts. The department spent thousands on a consultation, a

Strang to -- strategy to tackle the problem so many face in literacy and

numeracy, but in the same year they consulted onned a review of Irish

medium education, something of interest to comparatively few. And

yet the Irish language consultation cost 46 6,428 over twice the cost of

the literacy and numeracy review. That is wrong in any language. The

words I want to hear from an Ulster Unionist Party Education Minister

are simple. As our commitment card says, we will let teachers teach.

They will ring out the best in every child who walks through the front

door of every school, no exceptions, boy, girl, urban, rural, rich or

poor. We will support and empower them, because they are our own. I

want a single education system. I know there are others who have said

the same thing, but no one has done anything about it, so give us the

ministry, and we will. Give the Ulster Unionist Party responsibility

for the Department of education, and we will start that process on day

one. That will be 100 years too late. The evidence is stark. Our

first Education Minister wanted to single -- a single education system

in the 1920s, but he was thwarted all stock 45 years ago, the Belfast

Telegraph published an opinion poll. 65% of young people wanted to

end segregation in primary school education. 70% wanted secondary

education to be mixed. That was in 1968. How often will the mood of the

people be ignored by those in charge? It is the right hand to do

it, because it is the right thing to do. At conference last year, I said

I wanted my leadership to tackle sectarianism, the toxic legacy of

our Troubles. Educating our children together, from the age of four, will

inoculate them against the poison of sectarianism. I can put it no more

simply than that. I challenge the Catholic Church and all churches and

all interest groups, tell me what your problem is with a single

education system, because I cannot see an issue we cannot resolve. If

there is something that works for your sector, I want it for all of

our children. Earlier this year, we produced the commitment card. This

morning, you heard what it means to some of our younger members. I see

it as a first step. The next is to learn from history and let the card

developed and evolved into a pledge. 100 years ago, Edward Carr,

Sir James Craig and company came up with a covenant. It had a specific

purpose and it was for a defined target audience, the prounion people

of this island. So it was, if you like, exclusive in that it excluded

the pro United citizens of Ireland. It is time for a new covenant. But

this time, and inclusive one for everybody, unionist, nationalist,

Republican. As leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, I want to agree a

new covenant with the people of Northern Ireland, a covenant that

recognises that we can do better for all our people I shaping a fairer

education system, a stronger economy, better housing and a health

service not only free at the point of delivery, but with delivery

points that are accessible and appropriate to the needs of our

people. These changes will improve our quality of life, increase our

standard of living and give us hope and confidence that we can do even

better. At conference last year, I also said I wanted my leadership to

be by tackling child poverty and deprivation. This covenant between

us and the people can do that. If we are all feeling better, doing better

and aspiring to better, the future will replace the past is the place

to be -- as the place to be. I say this to the prounion

community. It is time to get on the front foot. It is time to be

confident, but also to be generous and demonstrate a generosity of

spirit. I am not the sort of Unionist who feels threatened. I

subscribe to the paraphrase of the poet John Hewitt, who talked about

himself as British, an Irishman and a European. It is more complicated,

but a more honest worldview than the old orange/ green

Protestant/Catholic. It is where I am. I am an Ulsterman and I am also

British, but I don't want to decide on my Irishness. It is the sort of

Irishness that makes me think very unchristian thoughts when the rugby

team are in Dublin will stop but I am also proud to share that identity

with the ethnic minorities around the UK. And I am also European,

particularly when the Ryder Cup is an TV. In conclusion, what I offer

is this, an international mental health centre that will be a fitting

legacy, offering practical help to those worst impacted by our

Troubles, something that will help many get back to work and we gain

the sense of purpose in their lives that they lost the day the Troubles

came knocking on their door. I offer most just the vision, but the

determination to create a single education system, starting the very

day we take the ministry. And I offer a new covenant for all our

people, dedicated to doing better and doing what is right for the

education, the economy, health and housing, to give all our people

higher standards of living. It is not a covenant we expect to be

signed at City Hall. If you want to support it, all you have to do is

vote Ulster Unionist Party. Northern Ireland lost one of its global

figures this year in Seamus Heaney. With his indulgence, I would rather

leave the last word to another great poet from these shores, John

Hewitt, who I just referenced. John Hewitt said this. Patriotism has to

do with keeping the country in good heart, the community governed with

justice and mercy. Be in good heart, conference. And next time you

go to the polls, encourage your friends and neighbours to demand

justice, to demand mercy and to demand responsible government. And

remember, those values can only be delivered by a party that puts

Northern Ireland first and does what is right for Northern Ireland. Thank

you very much. STUDIO: so, not surprisingly, Mike Nesbitt gets an

enthusiastic response from the delegates in Belfast. The loud rock

music kicks in in the background, and you can see people on their

feet, applauding. And he is acknowledged in that response. And

his wife is embracing him. Let's hear from Rick Wilford, who has been

following that speech with me. Rick, we said earlier that many

commentators said this was the most important speech of Mike Nesbitt's

career so far. Did he rise to the occasion? I don't think he did. I

thought it was a flat, modelled speech. I thought it was confused.

The one thing that stood out is his proposition that there should be

this legacy centre to deal with mental trauma not just from within

more than Ireland, but a centre that is open to all. Frankly, everyone

knows mental health services are poorly resourced. It is the

Cinderella end of our health and social services test. But goodness

me, I wonder how much research has gone into this idea and whether it

has been mooted with health care professionals not just within

Northern Ireland, but across the water, too. The other thing that

stood out was something he mentioned back in March at the AGM, which was,

give us the educational tools, and we will do the job will stop it is

not a case of giving them to them. They could have said, we would have

liked to have had the education brief back in 2011. That didn't

happen. And this idea of a covenant, perhaps an unfortunate

term to use in the context of Northern Ireland. It seemed to mean

that a covenant equalled a programme for government. We have got a

programme for government. Do we need a covenant that tries to encourage

as to be a society more at ease with itself? I don't think so. That is to

do with leadership in all the parties to do with the extent that

there is or isn't a consensus. Let me interrupt you briefly. Our

political editor has been joined by the deputy leader of the Ulster

Unionist Party, Danny Kennedy. Mark, I imagine that Danny Kennedy is

fairly enthusiastic about it, but what did you think, first? It was

obvious what the headline was meant to be, the International Centre for

mental health. It was clear not only from Mike Nesbitt's speech but from

the way his wife Linda gave it the big build-up, that that was what

they were going for. In terms of whether that will capture wider

support, it will be interesting to see, because if it is put up as an

alternative to the Maze peace centre, people may dig their heels

in and say, what is that about? I am joined by Danny Kennedy. What did

you make of the speech and that headline about the international

mental health centre? It was a strong speech from a strong leader

of a united party. The atmosphere has been electric. It is a wonderful

turnout, and there is a great buzz. This party is united in a way it has

not been for many years. I have been in this party nearly 40 years, and I

am Boyden about -- I am confident about the way this party has come

together under the leadership of Mike. It was a speech of direction

and offering serious alternatives, including an international trauma

centre. I am afraid we have to go back to the studio, but thank you.

Rick, a sentence or two on where Mike Nesbitt goes from here? Fingers

crossed, we are looking towards May and the European election, but I am

not sure this will give him the wind in his sales that he needs to

recover the ground the UUP have lost. That is it. The conference

season is underway . Our next is on November nine, when it is the

SDLP's turn in Armagh. Join me tomorrow at 11:35am, when Mike

Nesbitt will be one of my guests on Sunday Politics. We will also be

joined by the chief executive of cooperation in Ireland, Peter

Sheridan. Until then, thanks for watching. Tomorrow morning, 11:35am,

BBC One.