The Northern Ireland Conservatives hosted a packed reception at the Conservative Party Conference last night in conjunction with the FSB. The party chairman, Lord Feldman, and secretary of state, Owen Paterson MP, took the opportunity to affirm the party’s commitment to politics in Northern Ireland. Also in attendance was Conservative co-chair - Baroness Warsi, Lady Hodgson - President of the National Conservative Convention, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party - Jeremy Middleton and other distinguished guests, including the Irish Ambassador.
Irwin Armstrong, chairman of the Northern Ireland Conservatives, emphasised from the podium that Conservative candidates will contest forthcoming elections in Northern Ireland and praised Owen Paterson as “a man who cares very deeply about Northern Ireland”.
Irwin introduced the national party chair, Lord Feldman, who said that the Conservatives “are in Northern Ireland to stay” and pledged that the party will be “absolutely relentless” in its efforts to secure electoral gains in the province. He cited the Northern Ireland Conservatives’ office in Bangor as a symbol of the party’s determination to transform Ulster politics.
The Secretary of State, Owen Paterson MP, echoed Lord Feldman’s comments and said that the government is “delivering for Northern Ireland”.
“Our commitment to Northern Ireland is clear from our record of delivery”, Owen affirmed, “a solution to PMS – delivered. Saving the coastguard station at Bangor –delivered. Extra funding for the security forces – delivered. A cut in Air Passenger Duty – delivered.”
Wilfred Mitchell, chairman of the FSB in Northern Ireland, who sponsored the event, also addressed the meeting, alongside Eamonn Donaghy from Grow NI, who spoke about the necessity of devolving Corporation Tax powers.
Irwin Armstrong hailed the event as “a great success” and said that it emphasised the party’s “absolute determination” to achieve results in Northern Ireland. “The two party chairpersons attended and underlined their commitment. We had all of the Conservative members of the House of Commons select committee and Owen Paterson delivered a rousing account of the government’s record. It’s an exciting time to be a Northern Ireland Conservative and we can look forward with a great deal of optimism to the future”.