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UUP East Belfast Candidate Michael Copeland has written to Billy Gilpin of Translink on behalf of the people of the Roddens, Braniel and Glen Road areas of Belfast at the removal of the number 24 bus service.

Since the removal of the service people in these areas are having difficulty accessing the Holywood arches surgery and other vital services.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“Translink offers a haphazard service at the best of time. Some time ago we did an experiment and it took an hour and half to get from the Braniel to the Holywood Arches Health centre. In all seriousness it would probably have been quicker to walk.

The removal of the 24 bus service has exacerbated an already bad situation. Many people in the Roddens, Braniel and Glen Road areas rely heavily on public transport to get about and do their daily business. Knowing that there is rapid access to health centres and other vital services is important and comforting to people.

This service should re-instated but I’m quite prepared to work with Mr Gilpin in finding a cost effective solution to the problem.”

Ulster Unionist East Belfast assembly candidate Michael Copeland has welcomed the establishment of a new neighbourhood watch scheme in the Cregagh area.

The meeting of residents was attended by between 50 and 70 people. The initial meetings took place in Mr Copeland’s constituency office, and the project took a further step forward last night in the Salvation Army Temple on the Cregagh Road.

In a statement, Mr Copeland said: “These schemes present the opportunity for citizens to take ownership of their districts.

“It is however important that the police ring-fence the funding and support available to community policing teams who so often in the past appear to be diverted away from these duties when other policing circumstances require it. The citizen must once again feel that not only their home but their immediate area is something over which they can cast influence.

“I would also appeal for police to consider recommending the use of colour-coded bags in off-licences in order that those establishments suspected of selling alcohol to underage people can be identified.”

He added: “The true level of crime, be it high or low level, can only be assessed when it is reported to the police.

“Current police statistics continually talk of recorded and reported crime. The truth is that a large number of incidents remain unreported, making it more difficult for DCU commanders to make a business case within their own structures to gain the finance necessary to address the problem.

“People at last night’s meeting, and in particular their coordinater, have displayed the courage to stand up. They must be commended and supported.”

Ulster Unionist Assembly Candidate for East Belfast Michael Copeland today said that the control freakery of the DUP on the fines and post dated resignation for candidates completely destroys the representative nature of our democracy, where the conscience of the individual should stand for something.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“We are now living in a strange world where democracy can be turned on its head. The very idea that a party can sign up its candidates with post-dated letters of resignation before an election is distasteful to say the least. That such a party should have the word ‘democratic’ in its title is bizarre.

What this means is that a dup candidate turning up at your doorstep, seeking and obtaining your support, could be swept aside and ousted from office with a stroke of Ian Paisley’s pen, without any due process. This is like something one would have expected in communist Russia, not in this part of the United Kingdom.

Its control freakery gone mad, and when combined with a reported financial penalty, completely destroys the representative nature of our democracy, where the conscience of the individual should stand for something.

It all points to a private deal having been done between Ian Paisley and Blair to go into an Executive with Sinn Fein after the election. To achieve this, Ian Paisley wants to get through the election without making any public commitment on power-sharing, and have the ability at the other side of 7th March to obliterate any opposition to his proposals.

Elements within the DUP has become so arrogant that they think they can do absolutely anything that they like. They will find themselves mistaken in this belief in a few weeks time.”

Ulster Unionist Assembly Candidate for East Belfast Michael Copeland today said that the control freakery of the DUP on the fines and post dated resignation for candidates completely destroys the representative nature of our democracy, where the conscience of the individual should stand for something.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“We are now living in a strange world where democracy can be turned on its head. The very idea that a party can sign up its candidates with post-dated letters of resignation before an election is distasteful to say the least. That such a party should have the word ‘democratic’ in its title is bizarre.

What this means is that a dup candidate turning up at your doorstep, seeking and obtaining your support, could be swept aside and ousted from office with a stroke of Ian Paisley’s pen, without any due process. This is like something one would have expected in communist Russia, not in this part of the United Kingdom.

Its control freakery gone mad, and when combined with a reported financial penalty, completely destroys the representative nature of our democracy, where the conscience of the individual should stand for something.

It all points to a private deal having been done between Ian Paisley and Blair to go into an Executive with Sinn Fein after the election. To achieve this, Ian Paisley wants to get through the election without making any public commitment on power-sharing, and have the ability at the other side of 7th March to obliterate any opposition to his proposals.

Elements within the DUP has become so arrogant that they think they can do absolutely anything that they like. They will find themselves mistaken in this belief in a few weeks time.”

Ulster Unionist East Belfast assembly candidate Michael Copeland has paid tribute to foster carers and all involved the Fostering Achievement Scheme.

In a statement, Mr Copeland said: “The Fostering Achievement Scheme is a worthy initiative. As someone who has some personal experience of the fostering process, I have a deep appreciation of the work of fosters carers.

“When you consider that there are some 1,500 people in foster care, and with over 650 assisted through this scheme, it’s clear that this is a valuable enterprise which offers an important lifeline to so many young people.

“Improving well-being and opening the door of opportunity for our most vulnerable young people is key to building a fair and just society.”

UUP Parades spokesman Assembly candidate for East Belfast Michael Copeland today welcomed the scope of the terms of reference for a strategic review of parading which were published by Minister Goggins last week.

Mr Copeland said however that they were long overdue and only served to highlight the lack of a current framework and terms of reference of the current Parades Commission and their abysmal failure to properly address the parading issue.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“Mr Goggins has said that the published terms of reference were an opportunity to take a fresh look at the issue of Parading. While this is welcome it is about 10 years too late.

Most of the newly published terms of reference are nothing more than a common sense approach to Parading. It begs the obvious question  what on earth has shaped government thinking and policy decisions on Parading to date?

The Parades Commission, within this ideas black hole, has done enormous damage and wrought community divisions because of their non-sensical, overtly political and divisive attitude to parading. I am of the view that the terms of reference should at least include a provision, subject to proper debate, to scrap this failed entity as a way of showing that this strategic review is more than just hollow words and is in fact a concerted attempt to undo the damage done to date.

While I welcome this strategic review I have to say it will be an uphill struggle for government to convince the Loyal Orders that they are acting in good faith given their previous record to date.”

UUP Parades spokesman Assembly candidate for East Belfast Michael Copeland today welcomed the scope of the terms of reference for a strategic review of parading which were published by Minister Goggins last week.

Mr Copeland said however that they were long overdue and only served to highlight the lack of a current framework and terms of reference of the current Parades Commission and their abysmal failure to properly address the parading issue.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“Mr Goggins has said that the published terms of reference were an opportunity to take a fresh look at the issue of Parading. While this is welcome it is about 10 years too late.

Most of the newly published terms of reference are nothing more than a common sense approach to Parading. It begs the obvious question what on earth has shaped government thinking and policy decisions on Parading to date?

The Parades Commission, within this ideas black hole, has done enormous damage and wrought community divisions because of their non-sensical, overtly political and divisive attitude to parading. I am of the view that the terms of reference should at least include a provision, subject to proper debate, to scrap this failed entity as a way of showing that this strategic review is more than just hollow words and is in fact a concerted attempt to undo the damage done to date.

While I welcome this strategic review I have to say it will be an uphill struggle for government to convince the Loyal Orders that they are acting in good faith given their previous record to date.”

East Belfast Assembly Candidate Michael Copeland today called for a full audit of public land in Belfast which could be made available for Social Housing.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“There are currently thousands of people on the waiting list for social housing in the east of the city. Currently many will be waiting for some time for homes dues to a lack of availability and consequently a prohibitive points system.

The basic building block of society is the home, which should be in close proximity to places of education, medical treatment and places to shop. But something has gone terribly wrong. In East Belfast, there are many thousands of people who don’t have access to appropriate accommodation or affordable homes.

The need for social housing has increased dramatically since developers started paying enormous sums of money for land and this has left a deficit of affordable social housing being built. Great news for young professionals or those who can benefit from the housing boom, not so great for the many who rely on social security and social housing to make ends meet.

I am realistic and appreciate that there are budgetary constraints and that land in this part of the City is at a premium, however consideration must be given to freeing up some of the land in public ownership in the Constituency specifically for social housing. As a basic first step in establishing whether this feasible or not I am calling for a full audit of available public land across the City.”

Ulster Unionist East Belfast assembly member, Michael Copeland, and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Dr David Clarke, have today called for “urgent cross-party action” to address deplorable levels of deprivation and social exclusion in the area.

Mr Copeland was joined by the Moderator this morning for a walkabout tour in the East Belfast constituency, which included a visit to Beechfield Street Primary School. The pair discussed issues relating to homelessness and poverty, and also the important role faith communities play in the area.

In a statement, Mr Copeland said: “The basic building block of society is the home, which should be in close proximity to places of education, medical treatment and places to shop. But something has gone terribly wrong. In East Belfast, there are many thousands of people who don’t have access to appropriate accommodation or affordable homes.

“Where social exclusion exists, it robs our society and economy of the skills, talents, and contributions of too many children, young people and adults. If Northern Ireland is to truly move forward, it must be on the basis of opportunity for all.”

Dr David Clarke said: “I was appalled to learn of the extent of deprivation in areas of East Belfast. The quality of the housing stock is deplorable. There is an urgent need for cross-party action to address the deprivation which affects both communities.”

UUP East Belfast UUP MLA Michael Copeland today rounded on comments made by Gordon Brown who suggested that the union of England and Scotland was at risk from a dangerous drift towards separatism. He added that Britain was a model of how nations could live side by side but also be ‘stronger together, but weaker apart’.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“As an Ulster Unionist, I am proud of our union with the rest of the United Kingdom. I defended it through the darkest days of the troubles and defend it today through my political work. The same, sadly, cannot be said for New Labour’s approach to Northern Ireland.

Direct Rule Ministers and the Prime Minister throughout the peace process, have sought to airbrush our British culture, traditions, heritage and the role that Ulster men and women have contributed to overall British life, out of history.

Imposed policies by unaccountable Ministers, the establishment of ‘trendy’, lefty commissions and groups who view any expression of Britishness as rabble-rousing nationalism set us apart from our counterparts in Scotland, England and Wales who are not subjected to the constant whitewashing and perceived sanitisation of anything remotely British or Northern Irish.

It is therefore galling to hear platitudes from Mr Brown, the Prime Minister in waiting, about the importance of maintaining a strong Union when all the evidence from a majority of his colleagues in the cabinet and the Northern Ireland Office point to a different strategy altogether – an attempt to make Northern Ireland a hybrid, identity free place; a nation without a past and a country without a defined British culture.”