Conservative Party spokesman, Johnny Andrews, has slammed the Labour Party’s special commission to devise policies for Northern Ireland, describing it as “patronising nonsense”.
“Labour’s spokesman, Ivan Lewis, says that the party is looking for policy ideas from this commission, but his party is not interested enough to pursue votes in Northern Ireland”, Johnny noted. “The party has spurned its own members consistently, by refusing to stand candidates here. Mr Lewis’s commission, his words of warning to other parties and his analysis of the problems in Northern Ireland are all patronising in the extreme.”
“The Conservative Party has delivered for Northern Ireland, in government. David Cameron has reiterated again and again his determination to build up the party here and give voters a meaningful say in Westminster politics. Meanwhile Labour offers its support to a centre-left, nationalist party, the SDLP, which aspires to break up the UK. Do Mr Lewis and Ed Miliband propose to stop standing candidates in Scotland, where a similar party exists, in the SNP?”
“Labour can form as many commissions, composed of as many left wing academics, as it likes. The fact remains that it will never have any credibility on Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland issues until it stands candidates here. Asking for views but not votes is deeply patronising. It also illustrates a party which is bereft of ideas and is struggling to come up with any meaningful policy.”