“Put pressure on your local politicians not to miss historic opportunity”, urges Jim Wilson
Back in May 2002 when Her Majesty the Queen came to Stormont she said, “Here in the Assembly you have an historic opportunity to bring the administration of Northern Ireland closer to the people whom you serve”. She also said “By working together in this place, in the interests of all your constituents, and those too young to vote, in whose hands, ultimately, the future lies, this Assembly can demonstrate that it is possible to build trust, and in so doing continue the building of a new Northern Ireland.
She also said that she welcomed the real sense of normality that has over recent years been returning to the lives of ordinary people, even if tempered from time to time by moments of disappointment and pessimism.
I agreed with everything Her Majesty said at the time and it still my fervent belief that a devolved Assembly with locally elected politicians held to account by their electorate is the only way forward,” said Mr Wilson.
“Last week the Secretary of State admitted that a Direct Rule administration could only have “limited influence”. Addressing local business leaders he said, “You need to have direct access to a local minister, taking local decisions and being accountable to a local electorate.”
“Any politician who believes that Direct Rule is a better alternative than devolution is a fool. Northern Ireland Office Ministers can ride roughshod over the people who live here because ultimately they do not depend on any of us to re-elect them on polling day. They hold responsibility for up to three government departments on a part-time basis – how can that equate with having a locally elected Minister with a full-time presence and responsibility for just one department?
The Assembly did work. We made progress through being able to speak directly, face to face, with Ministers across the Assembly chamber and in the corridors of Parliament Buildings.
The Assembly put an extra £1.2 billion into the Health Service, an additional £500 million into roads like the Toome by-pass and the Corrs Corner-Larne Road; it put 100 new ambulance service vehicles on the road; it put £530 million into railways and buses and £2 billion into the reinvestment and reform initiative. The Assembly put a Commissioner for Children in place and £8 million into Irish Football; it introduced free travel for Senior Citizens and disabled war veterans; it provided free nursing care for the elderly and £420 million into school buildings like Antrim Grammar and Loanends Primary.
Much more was done in support of services that benefit us all. There is unfinished business; there is more to be done.
“On 24th November we have, once again, and probably for the last time, an historic opportunity to bring the administration of Northern Ireland closer to the people whom we serve. The people must put pressure on their local politicians not squander this opportunity.”