Good morning, thank you all very much for coming and welcome to an event which we’re confident will mark an important moment in the development of politics in Northern Ireland.
First of all let me say I am proud to have been born in Northern Ireland and remain firmly rooted in Northern Ireland. I love this place and from the North Coast to the Mountains of Mourne, from Belfast Lough to Lough Foyle, its beauty never ceases to amaze me.
The friendliness and helpfulness of our people are unique anywhere in the world, and we who are privileged to live here are very fortunate.
That’s why I’m particularly pleased today to introduce a brand-new, centre-right party, which is proudly and distinctively Northern Irish and has autonomy on devolved matters.
The NI Conservatives will offer voters a meaningful voice in UK wide politics, as a full part of the Conservative Party, and a fresh, common-sense perspective on local politics, whether in the council chamber, or at the Stormont Assembly.
Little did we expect, when we were planning our launch, that the Belfast Telegraph would give us kind and timely help, by releasing a poll on the same week which emphasises exactly why Northern Ireland politics has to change.
The border a dead issue, with only 7% wanting a United Ireland;
60% of voters wanting a new option, as an alternative to the current parties;
Only 40% are satisfied with no opposition Stormont and the lack of accountability that entails;
An Assembly whose unpopularity apparently matches that of the outgoing Greek government!
What a week to launch a new party!
I won’t bore you with all of that party’s organisational details, but a few elements need to be emphasised.
For the first time we will have a local Party Board which will include its own Chairman, leaders for the various elected groups, the Secretary of State, and local Association Chairman.
The regional Chairman will attend party board meetings in London and will be a member of the Conservative National Strategy team. We are already working closely with the party administration in London and its full range of skills and training are available to us.
We will be known as the NI Conservatives and you will see our new logo, which shows the Conservative tree assuming the shape of Northern Ireland, on the display behind me. I can see where the artistic vision is coming from, but you can make up your own minds.
We have the unequivocal support of our leader, the party Chairmen, the party Board, and most of all the Party Convention, which represents party members across the UK.
They are represented here today by Emma Pidding, who has also been our local party president for some years. Once again we are proud to welcome Emma, who is always such a tremendous support to the whole party here.
It’s worth reiterating her words about the hard work offered by Conservatives in Northern Ireland, going right back to the 1980s. I see many of those same activists with us here today and I can tell them that for their years of service this party is truly thankful.
What they have seen throughout their years in politics, and what we can tell from the Belfast Telegraph poll, NILT surveys and the evidence of our own eyes is that politics in Northern Ireland have changed beyond recognition in the last 15 years but – as yet – the party system has not caught up with wider developments.
The constitutional issue has been settled for the foreseeable future and voters no longer want to hear constant wrangling about the border or symbols.
Yet none of the current parties at Stormont has been able to move beyond the politics of carve-up, to address the day to day matters which really make a difference to people’s lives.
The result is an electorate which is increasingly disengaged from the political scene. Polling shows that young people and women, in particular, are likely to be turned off by the current shape of politics here. Almost 45% of voters chose not to cast a ballot in the last set of elections, which made ‘none of the above’ the overwhelming winner at both the Assembly and council polls.
How do we go about changing that?
Well we certainly don’t have a magic wand or miracle cures, but we will offer common sense policies that reflect the values of people in Northern Ireland and speak to the issues they care about.
That means simple things like rewarding hard work and aspiration, encouraging strong families and building a strong community. It means creating one future, one community and one Northern Ireland, which embraces a range of cultures and is at ease with itself.
We also believe that, in the words of Benjamin Disraeli, “no government can be long secure without a formidable opposition”.
In other words, no opposition and no accountability mean bad government and a loss of support in the community. And isn’t that evident in the recent election turnouts.
We want a system where the Executive is accountable, where politics aren’t distorted by fears about who may or may not become First Minister.
We will consistently argue that the current system at Stormont has to change to accommodate an opposition but, until that time, it falls to people like us, people like you, to scrutinise, critique and criticise where necessary, the work of the Executive.
Very shortly we’ll introduce you to the leaders of the policy committees whom we’ve charged with developing a fresh manifesto of policies, to contest all forthcoming elections.
NI Conservatives will work hard to hold the stale, old parties to account, in the council chamber and in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
There was another survey conducted before the elections last year, which was designed to cut through the old tribal designations and determine the ‘True Colours’ of the Northern Ireland electorate.
It revealed that the average voter here is moderate and to the right of centre.
That’s exactly where we stand too.
We want Northern Ireland to be successful, with a flourishing private sector, rather than an overdependence on public sector jobs.
We want Northern Ireland to remain firmly within the UK; with people here able to vote for or against the government at Westminster and we believe that it is time to start participating in the Union, rather than just defending it.
We also want to build a close working relationship, particularly where it is mutually beneficial with our neighbours, whether they be to the South or to the East.
We want a truly shared future and we believe that personal responsibility and freedoms are the bedrock upon which democratic societies are built.
So what does all this mean when it comes to jobs?
We realise that enterprise and entrepreneurship are the engines of a successful economy and lead to reduced unemployment.
The people of Northern Ireland need to be given the tools to succeed, in order to build a flourishing private sector, which will reduce our dependence on public sector jobs.
We understand the importance of supporting local business and we will always combat the miles of red tape which too often strangle initiative.
We will also continue to spearhead efforts to grow the private sector and devolve powers to vary Corporation Tax, in conjunction with our colleagues in the government at Westminster. I’ve had the privilege of working with Owen Paterson, on the issue of Corporation Tax, for a number of years.
When the idea of a cut seemed dead in the water:
When it was rubbished by Labour ministers,
When it was rubbished by Northern Ireland’s own finance minister,
When it had no widespread political support,
Conservatives kept this ideal alive!
If a change does come about it will be through our efforts and the efforts of this Secretary of State!
I was privileged to be a part of GROW NI, which campaigned for Corporation Tax cuts and represented nearly every business organisation in Northern Ireland and a great many other businessmen and experts – if we can harness and direct the energy that was evident there, we should have no fears for the future.
NI Conservatives will continue to advocate low business taxes and less bureaucracy, in order to attract inward investment to Northern Ireland and to encourage indigenous business.
We are also determined to combat poverty and protect the vulnerable.
Government should provide for those who fall on hard times, but it must also encourage people back into work or training as quickly as possible. Becoming trapped in an unrewarding, low income, dependency lifestyle damages individuals and the communities from which they come.
We support the principle that it should never pay more to remain in benefits than to work.
These policies say a lot about what Conservatives are all about: protecting the vulnerable, but also looking out for the interests of people who are doing their best and making sure that everyone has the opportunities and incentives to make the biggest contribution to society that they possibly can.
We believe that, with a little help, people rise to the challenge and fulfil their potential.
As the prime minister emphasises in his message to the launch today, NI Conservatives are also committed to making votes from Northern Ireland count in the context of Westminster politics.
We believe that people here are ready for a local, centre-right party, which deals with all the ‘bread and butter’ issues, and is fully plugged into the UK mainstream.
Issues like taxation, the block-grant and foreign policy are decided at Westminster, but our current crop of MPs are powerless and detached from the national party system.
NI Conservatives play a full role in influencing the policies of the UK Conservative Party and we believe that Northern Irish Conservative MPs will make Northern Ireland’s voice heard where it counts, at Westminster – from the Conservative benches.
To date the Secretary of State has been fulfilling that role in the Cabinet, and what a job he has done:
on the Block Grant, on PMS, double jobbing, on the Coast Guard Station, on Air Passenger Duty, on more funds for the PSNI and many, many more issues, where without his help we would have lost out.
Thank you Owen for your consistent efforts for the people of Northern Ireland.
You can read more about the politics which we’re proposing in the booklet which we’ve published today:
Encouraging greater sharing and integration in our schools, across communities.
Supporting excellent educational pathways, both academic and vocational.
Tailoring our further and higher education systems to provide the skills which industry needs and businesses are crying out for.
Arguing that there should be no discrimination against English, Scots or Welsh young people, who wish to study in this part of the UK and no discrimination against students from Northern Ireland, who wish to study in Scotland, England or Wales …… whichever passport they happen to hold.
An adaptable NHS which focuses on the quality of services provided to individuals and empowers patients, rather than concentrating on buildings or institutions.
A public sector which is light on its feet, pragmatic and flexible when it comes to delivering quality public services.
Scrapping the current CSI strategy and introducing one based on concrete targets for things like shared housing and schools and a monetary value for division.
So that’s how we view some of the key challenges which face Northern Ireland today.
There is a formidable task ahead, but we have on our side the boundless energy and enthusiasm of the people of Northern Ireland, whose forebears’ ingenuity once made our country a powerhouse of the industrial world. Our party is open to all and we’d ask anyone who cares about Northern Ireland to come forward and join us and get involved in our family of organisations like Conservative Future, Conservative Women’s Organisation, Conservative Christian Fellowship and many more.
No-one can underestimate the changes which have already taken place in our part of the world or the unflagging spirit which has allowed this place to get up off its knees after 40 years of violence.
Look at the building in which you stand today. Isn’t it fantastic?
Look across the river to the Titanic Signature Project. A world class attraction.
Ladies and gentlemen, Northern Ireland has changed and it continues to change and we will be a part of that change.
It is finally time for our politics to catch up.
Thank you.