Christmas Message from UUP Leader Sir Reg Empey
UUP Leader Sir Reg Empey has used his Christmas Message to the people of Northern Ireland to share his hopes for progress in 2007 and to draw attention to the ongoing scandal of child poverty in our society.
In a statement Sir Reg said,
“As 2006 draws to a close, Northern Ireland does seem to be edging closer to the restoration of devolution. Power-sharing government and support for the police service are being accepted across the political spectrum as essential for normality and stability in our society. It is to be hoped that the opening months of 2007 will see remaining obstacles overcome, and that the siren voices wanting Northern Ireland to remain mired in its painful past will not have the last word.
The season of Christmas reminds us of the shared values of our society – rather than what divides us. Many of those in our society whose background is from beyond the United Kingdom will be celebrating Christmas. Those from other religious traditions also share the values celebrated at Christmas – in particular, a recognition of our obligations to the vulnerable amongst us.
Save the Children have recently challenged us all to address the sobering reality of child poverty in our society. The UK has one of the worst child poverty records of the 27 Member-States of the EU, ranked 21 st. On Christmas Day 2006, 35,000 children in Northern Ireland will be living in severe poverty – having lives blighted by want, a lack of opportunity, and social exclusion.
This is not the society we – all of us, across political, religious and national traditions – want for Northern Ireland . The restoration of devolved government will give us an opportunity to begin to face the challenge of building a fair and just society, reflecting our shared values.
On behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party, I wish all the people of Northern Ireland a Happy Christmas – and trust that together, in 2007, we can rise to the challenges faced by our society”.