The Northern Ireland Conservatives have announced that Lesley Macaulay, a candidate in East Londonderry at the last Westminster and Assembly elections, has become a member, as they reconstitute as a new party in Northern Ireland.
“I’m delighted to join the Northern Ireland Conservatives at such an exciting time”, Lesley emphasised. “The plans which are now in train will give Northern Ireland a common-sense party, which is local in focus and addresses the day to day problems which people care about, while also being very clearly part of mainstream UK politics.”
“This party will be a full and influential part of the national Conservative party, offering Northern Irish voters a meaningful voice in critical issues like taxation, setting the block grant and foreign policy, which are all decided at Westminster. It will also offer a desperately needed, fresh, centre-right perspective on local politics.”
“That means an emphasis on fostering a new, can-do culture of enterprise and entrepreneurship, in order to grow the economy in Northern Ireland. It means combating poverty by tackling welfare dependency and educational underachievement. It also means working for a shared future, rather than a shared out future, and focussing on what we all have in common in Northern Ireland, rather than what divides us.”
“I encourage people of all backgrounds, and especially women, who are interested in creating positive politics to join us in this exciting step forward towards a new era of one community politics in Northern Ireland.”
Northern Ireland Conservatives’ chairman, Irwin Armstrong, welcomed Lesley to the party. “Lesley and I have worked together before, as candidates in the general election, pledged to take the Conservative whip at Westminster”, Irwin explained. “Now she’s joining the party as it reconstitutes for the next stage of the process of bringing mainstream, centre-right politics to Northern Ireland.”
“Lesley brings tremendous energy, vision and passion to the new party. I’d like to welcome her to the team and I know she’ll make a valuable contribution to changing politics in Northern Ireland for good.”