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Unionists and loyalists will be left with a deep sense of irony following the disclosure that a senior member of the DUP was involved in advocating and promoting the Belfast Agreement as a model for resolving other conflicts in the world including the difficulties in Iraq, Ulster Unionist Deputy-Leader Danny Kennedy said today,

In a statement Mr Kennedy continued,

“The revelation simply confirms the fact that the DUP were never truly an anti-agreement Party but were simply engaged in a deeply cynical political exercise to emerge as the largest political party in NI - something which has proven costly to Unionists in terms of concessions made to republicans. All over this Province grass roots unionists are asking only one question to the DUP leadership - “What was the past 38 years all about?

The Unionist population is also informed now, from no less a person than Ian Paisley Jnr, that any suggestion of a rift in OFM/DFM ie the SF/DUP Government pact was “entirely fantasy politics” - so much for the promise given that “it wouldn’t be a love-in!”

UUP Social Development spokesman Michael Copeland today responded to the Federation of Housing Associations call for social housing provision to be placed at the top of the Assembly agenda.

In a statement Mr Copeland, who held discussions with Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie yesterday on the housing shortage in East Belfast, said in a statement,

“I echo the calls of the Federation of Housing Associations. In my experience there are two basic common threads that stand out and need to be urgently addressed when looking at the overall situation.

Firstly, the state of many of the properties are deteriorating or have already deteriorated to sub-standard levels. Secondly, demand is outstripping supply.

Many of the cases I deal with are for those who have been left with faulty heating systems, leaking roofs, overcrowding, damp and in some extreme cases, rat infestations. Nobody, whatever circumstances that they find themselves in, should have to live with these conditions.

Our Offices have details of a great many of sub-standard Executive houses and many horror stories of the residents of some of these properties. I am convinced that while large in number, our files are only giving us a pixel of the overall picture.

This crisis will get worse. That is why a serious attempt must be made to tackle it. The sticking plaster approach of throwing a few thousand here, a million there will not work in the long run. The Housing Executive is not to wholly to blame given their tight financial constraints, the root cause, I believe, is decades of under-investment by successive governments.

For me one of life’s most basic rights is a decent place to live. Currently to a great many people this is a right that is denied to them. The Budget, limited as it is, must do more to start tackling the problem otherwise I can foresee the sight of a great many more homeless people on the streets of Northern Ireland.”

Ulster Unionist MLA Billy Armstrong has thrown his support behind the campaign by the Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland to start up “Green Gym” sessions on Saturday mornings.

These are planned as an alternative to more conventional gyms, and will involve will involve a few hours work doing important activities such as woodland management, seed collecting or tree planting.

The Mid-Ulster MLA said,

“As a member of the Assembly’s Environment Committee, I am pleased to support this initiative by the Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland.

“It is ideal for those who wish to improve their general fitness and who are concerned with environmental issues and the world we live in.

Not only will it get people out in the fresh air taking exercise and relieving the stresses of daily life, which is of course very important in itself, but it will also have a positive visible benefit on the natural environment. Even better, it’s all absolutely free, and no experience is required.”

Ulster Unionist Assembly member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Tom Elliott MLA has recently met representatives of Carers Northern Ireland to discuss the plight of the many carers in Northern Ireland. This includes the low paid domiciliary care workers and also those who provide unpaid care by looking after an ill, frail or disabled family member.

Tom said: “It is unfortunate that as we enter the first ever ElderCare Week (3–9 September 2007) the plight facing an ever increasing ageing population is growing. A recent survey has revealed that 42% think that care and support services for older people are worse compared with 5 years ago. It must be remembered that many carers’ do this duty, seven days a week and 52 weeks a year. The withdrawal of Home Help service from many elderly for the preparation of meals has been replaced in many instances by the ‘Meals on Wheels’ service which leads to a feeling of even more isolation.

The Health Service often fails to realise the financial implications for both themselves and a family if a senior citizen is placed in a nursing home instead of remaining within a community. The voluntary work carried out by relatives is not often recognised by Government. There is also the additional worry of placing someone within a nursing home because of the financial impact it can have, with a number of families forced to sell their property to pay for such a service.

More than 8 million people across the UK provide unpaid care for elderly relatives, saving the state roughly £34bn a year on the cost of social services. This number of unpaid relatives looking after fellow family members is set to rise and the issue set to become more serious as the number of over 85’s increases in the next decade.

“The Ulster Unionist Party recognises the role of the 250,000 carers in Northern Ireland and believes that government for to long have undervalued the vital role played by carers. We propose that the Social Security Agency should devise and implement a strategy to increase entitlement take up amongst carers and recognise the true value of carer’s contribution to society.”

Ulster Unionist Assembly member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Tom Elliott MLA, has praised those involved in the investigations that led to the BBC Spotlight programme uncovering the extent of the barbaric practice of dog fighting in Northern Ireland and called on DARD to implement legislation to ensure it cannot continue.

In a statement Tom said: “The current legislation is clearly not working in deterring individuals or groups of individuals from becoming involved in such activities, credit must go to journalist, Mandy McAuley, for her 17 month long undercover investigation and the work of the USPCA for bringing this issue to the attention of the authorities.

“The investigation clearly showed that the agencies charged with tackling this problem, District Councils, PSNI and PPS seem incapable of bringing those responsible to justice. Only 3 prosecutions over the years since the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act does not send a clear message that there are clear and proportionate consequences for taking part in something as barbaric as dog fighting.”

Tom, the vice chairman of the Assembly’s DARD committee, also drew attention to last year’s consultation by the department on proposals to amend animal welfare legislation in Northern Ireland. The consultation included proposals relating to the powers of authorities to act quickly to prevent animal suffering from occurring, increasing the duty on people to care for their animals, making penalties more appropriate and extending the powers of authorities to seize animals.

Tom continued by saying: “From my understanding the responses to the consultation are currently being assessed by DARD, however I feel that few would object to loopholes being closed that previously allowed people to feel that they could continue causing harm to animals either intentionally or through neglect.

“A coordinated approach is essential to ensure an end to the practice of dog fighting, to place a greater responsibility on the keepers of dangerous dogs and also to regulate the importation of dogs into our country. A previous request has been made to the Irish Government to tighten dog licensing laws and there is a need for jurisdictions on both sides of the border if the results are to be witnessed.”

“During the BBC’s investigation it was discovered that at least 15 dog fighting gangs were operating in Northern Ireland and it became clear that despite previous convictions the participants were intent on continuing with their so-called ‘sport’. The undercover footage clearly showed the level of commitment and dedication that these individuals have for this cruel activity, I feel that this evidence alone is a damning indictment of the existing legislation and the level of deterrent that it provides.”

In conclusion Tom added: “It is critical that all those involved in this illegal and barbaric trade are brought before the courts and I would urge that DARD moves quickly to legislate against such acts of animal cruelty.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has launched a high profile campaign this evening in the European Parliament in Strasbourg to ban imports of Brazilian beef to the EU.

Mr Nicholson, along with Conservative MEP Neil Parish, Chairman of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee and 3 other MEPs have co sponsored a written declaration in the Parliament calling on the European Commission to ban beef imports from Brazil.

This issue featured high on the agenda when Mr Parish visited Northern Ireland last month to meet with representatives from the local farming industry.

Momentum for a ban on Brazilian beef imports has been growing since the European Parliament’s agriculture committee heard damning evidence in July, about the standards of Brazilian beef, from the Irish Farmers Association and Irish Farmers Journal who visited Brazil in May to investigate the situation.

Speaking from Strasbourg this evening Mr Nicholson said,

“It is time the European Commission took its head out of the sand on this issue. Brazilian beef is banned from entering the US, South Korea and other countries because, time after time, it has been proven to be of a sub – standard nature. Traceability is non-existent, there are no controls at regional borders, no controls on animal movement and there are risks of further Foot and Mouth outbreaks.

“At present Northern Ireland’s farmers must comply with the high standards laid down by the EU in terms of health, food safety and traceability so why shouldn’t imports coming into the EU from other countries do the same? The reality is that if Brazilian beef imports are continued to be allowed into the EU then more and more farmers in Northern Ireland and across Europe risk being put out of business. With the cost of production rising, it is hard to see how our farmers can compete with these cheap imports.”

There are many aspects of Dr Paisleys behaviour since becoming first minister that have shown a lack of “bigger picture Unionism” but none more so than the so called “Celtic Alliance” with the Scottish and Welsh Assemblies to produce a coherent strategy to get more money out of Westminster. When you hear the leader of UNIONISM praise our foreign neighbours whilst castigating our own British Government over a lack of investment, it beggars belief and further alienates Northern Ireland in the minds of our fellow British citizens across the water. Does Dr Paisley seriously believe that a region of the UK that receives in excess of NINE THOUSAND MILLION POUNDS is really not being treated fairly whilst praising the Irish Government for a few hundred millions of investment in our infrastructure that will directly benefit the economic competitiveness of THEIR regions.

As Unionists we should be congratulating our neighbours for the strides that their economy has made but making it clear that compared to the UK it is still behind in many significant areas. Our employment legislation, our rates of personal taxation, our OVERALL company taxation (especially for the majority SME companies), and crucially the fact that we can control our own inflation by not being in the single currency adding to the fact that we are one of the best regulated markets in the world give the UK clear competitive advantage over most of the other EU countries. That is why we still receive more Foreign Direct Investment than any other single EU country.

Other things which Unionists never say, or maybe do not recognise, is the massive difference in the quality, accessibility and cost of our public services which are miles ahead of our neighbour. Try having an accident in Ireland that requires significant rehabilitation care and you will soon see why over 50% of the population subscribe to private health care plans.

But of course our Britishness and the strength of the Union can never be taken for granted. One of Mr Paisleys colleagues, Mr Salmond, is pushing for a referendum in Scotland to break up the U.K. Since that has always been his stated position I wonder why the leader of Unionism is forming alliances with him but since he has now started putting the wheels in motions to try to split the Union up, Mr Paisley should stop, or be stopped by colleagues, from further developing links with Scottish Republicans. The United Kingdom is a wonderful place to live, work and play and it is about time that all Unionist politicians started selling the tangible benefits of our participation in it to counteract the spin and bluster of those who would let us believe that our neighbour is about to take over the world!

The Chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party Councillors Association today stated his outright opposition in allowing ex-terrorists to sit on DPPs.

The motion to allow ex-terrorists onto the DPPs was approved without a vote in Parliament.

Trevor Wilson today said in a statement,

“This latest move in Parliament gives a green light for convicted terrorists to oversee the police.

Jeffrey Donaldson said the DUP had opposed it but as usual the rhetoric, bluster and claims to have more influence in Westminster didn’t amount to much. Another successful DUP campaign then, wasn’t it?

This move will be abhorrent to a majority of the public who don’t want former terrorists making operational and other recommendations to the Police.

What’s the next step? Allowing terrorists, convicted or otherwise, to serve in the PSNI? The Government has ruled this out. But what about when policing powers are devolved to Northern Ireland?

The UUP is opposed to the speedy devolution of Policing and Justice. There is no public appetite for it and we need to know the full picture of what was agreed behind the scenes in St Andrews between Ian Paisley and his chuckle brother Martin McGuinness first. I wouldn’t bet against seeing former terrorists patrolling our streets in PSNI uniforms shortly after powers are devolved, even if Jeffrey and the DUP ‘oppose’ it.”