Harry Cullen, a businessman from Portstewart, is the new chairman of the NI Conservatives, after the party held its Annual General Meeting at the CIYMS in east Belfast, last night. Harry was elected unopposed and he succeeds Irwin Armstrong, who is stepping aside from day to day involvement in politics.
“First of all I want to pay tribute to Irwin who has put an incredible amount of time and effort into politics and has overseen the NI Conservatives’ transformation into a proudly Northern Irish, pro-Union, centre-right party, which is autonomous on devolved matters, but remains a full and influential part of the UK Conservative Party”, Harry commented. “Northern Ireland needs a better type of politics more than ever. We’re the only party that can give voters a meaningful say at Westminster, we’re the only centre-right party in Northern Ireland and we’re the only party focussed on addressing issues, like jobs, health and education, which make a real difference to people’s everyday lives. The Conservative-led government has turned the economy here around, which is why you’re seeing more jobs created. David Cameron has also lifted tens of thousands of people out of income tax. These are considerable achievements, which show what centre-right politics can do for Northern Ireland.”
“Due to business commitments and pressure on my time, I’ve taken the decision to step aside”, Irwin commented. “Harry Cullen is taking on the role of chairman and I wish him every success. I can look back at my time in the NI Conservatives with some satisfaction. We are now an autonomous party, articulating a distinctively centre-right message in Northern Ireland, with an influential link to the government in London. That is a tremendous step forward”.