uuptoday.org

Copies also sent to David Cameron and Nick Clegg

Dear Prime Minister,

Remuneration and allowances for MPs, MSPs, AMs and MLAs

The above topic has exercised the minds of many in Parliament in recent weeks, and it has had a spill-over in the devolved regions as well.

I find it difficult to believe that we continue year in year out with a system that subjects public representatives to ridicule and derision from the press and public alike, due to the anomaly that we are responsible for setting our own rates of pay, at the same time as we are setting the rates of pay for large numbers of public sector workers.

As Minister for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland, my Department has been trying to resolve a long running pay dispute with college lecturers and defending public sector pay policy of confining costs of living increases to 2% in the current year.

Last week there was a rumour that the Senior Salaries Review Body was intending to recommend that Stormont MLAs receive a 16% increase in pay; and as you can imagine there was uproar, even though the Body will not be reporting until July.

Taken together with the matter of MP’s allowances, it all goes to convince me that there must be a better way of restoring public confidence in the political process and ridding ourselves of the responsibility for setting our own pay and allowances.

There are a range of other matters which I believe are bringing politics into disrepute. These include:

The employment of family members in unjustifiable circumstances.

Multiple mandates and responsibility allowances (these are rife in Northern Ireland but may not be such a problem in the rest of the UK).

Lack of clarity and consistency in the management of public representative’s constituency office costs allowance.

Confusion over the rules for the payment of rent for constituency office purposes.

I have no doubt that other Party Leaders share similar concerns and I am copying this letter to them with a view to seeing if a consensus can be reached on urgently needed and far reaching reforms.

I have no doubt that if these matters could be resolved we would have an opportunity to restore public confidence in the political process and ensure that future generations of politicians are not subject to inevitable criticism for operating a system that has long since past its sell-by-date and would not be tolerated in other walks of public life.

I understand that Parliament is asking a number of senior Members to look into some of these issues, but I believe that with widespread devolution in the UK the time has come for a national solution to cover Parliament, the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

If we are seen to be tackling this on a national scale, then the public will see that the issues are being taken seriously throughout the United Kingdom, so that we can all get on with our work without these periodic episodes which undermine our collective credibility.

In conclusion, I firmly believe that public representatives should no longer be setting their own payment and allowances; that representatives should not have multiple mandates; and that the processes for handling allowances should be open and transparent.

I would be interested to know your views on these issues, and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours Sincerely,

Sir Reg Empey OBE MLA

Leader

The Ulster Unionist Party.

Annex to letter

In Northern Ireland most MPs are also Members of the Assembly, including Sinn Fein Members who do not attend Parliament. The only exceptions are Lady Sylvia Hermon MP (UUP) and Eddie McGrady MP (SDLP).

In addition to this, 7 out of 9 DUP MPs are also Councillors as well as MLAs; three are Ministers; and five are also Chairs of Assembly Committees (four of these are salaried positions).

It is obvious that only a clear legislative decision will end this double/treble jobbing.

A majority of MLAs from all Parties are District Councillors.

Conflicts of interest are inevitable. While this practice may have been acceptable when there was a doubt over the viability of the Assembly, it is now safer to assume that it is permanent. A clear prohibition on these practices would send out the signal that things are settled here.

The Chairman of the Ulster Unionist Councillors Association Trevor Wilson today welcomed Dromore by-election victor Carol Black to the fold.

Mr Wilson said her victory had given the Party a great boost and that it showed that despite what the detractors in the DUP and the media had predicted, the UUP was still very much a force to be reckoned with.

In a statement Mr Wilson said,

“I am delighted to welcome Carol to the fold as an Ulster Unionist Councillor. Her victory has been a great boost to the Party and I have been getting calls from up and down the country from fellow Councillors expressing their congratulations and best wishes.

Our detractors in the DUP had arrogantly predicted a wash out victory for themselves, aided and abetted in no small measure by a largely subservient media. How wrong they were! This victory for the UUP underlines what we believe to be true. That we remain a force to be reckoned with in Northern Ireland and that over the next months and years the people of Northern Ireland will witness a resurgent Ulster Unionist Party.”

I know only too well the dangers of over-exaggerating a situation. That said, the Ulster Unionist Party has every reason to allow itself a moment of triumph in the wake of our victory in the Dromore by-election.

Our victory was all the more enjoyable because so many of our political opponents—along with most of the media—assumed that we couldn’t win.

We proved a lot of people wrong on Wednesday. More important, though, we have discovered a new sense of confidence in ourselves. Right the way through the election campaign we had large and enthusiastic groups of people on our canvassing teams. These were ordinary party members who wanted to prove that the Ulster Unionist Party is proud of its legacy and proud of what we have done for Northern Ireland.

The result vindicates their enthusiasm and determination. And the sheer numbers of people who have contacted our Headquarters and elected representatives since the result became known, demonstrates that a very large audience appreciates our success.

But we will not be sitting upon our laurels and taking a complacent view of events. The Party has reached the end of a Review process which I initiated last summer. We have looked at every aspect of how we operate and have put in place a series of Standing Orders and Rules to ensure that we are seen to be effective, efficient and relevant.

Dromore has proved that we still have a solid electoral base—even in Jeffrey Donaldson’s own backyard! As we roll out the new structures I am certain that we can extend that electoral base, as increasing numbers of people come to realise that the Ulster Unionist Party is very firmly back on its feet and very obviously back in business.

Speaking after the UUP’s candidate, Carol Black, won the by-election to Banbridge Council, Sir Reg Empey commented:

“This really is a “Black” day for the DUP. They had forced a by-election (which has cost local ratepayers thousands of pounds) when they refused to agree with us on co-opting a candidate; and they forced the by-election because they believed that they could see off both the UUP and the TUV. They saw off neither.”

“The DUP can no longer claim to be the majority voice of unionism. In Jeffrey Donaldson’s own backyard their vote plunged from almost 50% to less than 30%.”

“I congratulate Carol on her stunning victory. She is a new voice and a new face in politics and she confounded the critics by proving that a local woman campaigning on local issues can rise above the score-settling tit-for-tat that was the hallmark of the DUP-TUV showdown.”

“I congratulate my party colleagues and supporters who came out in large numbers to bolster Carol’s campaign. I joined them on a number of occasions. They were enthusiastic and confident. They wanted to prove that the Ulster Unionist Party was back on its feet and back in business. This result is a tribute to our collective efforts.”

“I also want to thank the electorate; those who gave their first preference choice to Carol, and those who gave her a preference at a later stage. This result is a considerable improvement on our performance in March 2007: another clear sign that voters are taking us seriously again.”

“Finally, can I say this to the media in general? The UUP was virtually ignored during the election; we were assumed to be incapable of winning a seat. We have proved your predictions and analysis to be inaccurate. The Ulster Unionist Party has weathered the political storm. We are still here and we are back in business.”

Sir,
After the disgraceful lack of media coverage given to Carol Black specifically and the UUP campaign, I would urge the media not to write off the “original and still the best” brand of unionism around of the 101 year old Ulster Unionist Party. During the one sided media campaign there was no cognisance given of the fact that the DUP never told the people what they were going to do before the last assembly election and castigated us for simply telling the truth. They also told the voting public that you “cannot give guarantees about restoring devolution until you have secured a financial package”, again another broken promise as the recent reality check of very much competing demands in a very finite budget proved. The truth has caught up with the DUP leadership and I am sure as a result of their 20% drop their hawks will be telling them to harden the message and stop the “chuckling” but the reality is that having spent 10 years criticising our every waking move a very significant number of their core support were never conditioned to accept the new power sharing realities.
The UUP told the people the truth, in this election we ran a quality local candidate, and I hope the media consensus will get a very clear message that “we have not gone away you know”!!

Cllr Mark Cosgrove
UUP Trade and Tourism Spokesperson

The European Union should lead by example and ensure an end to all live animal transport over long distances, Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson said today.
His call comes as a new global campaign is launched to end the appalling conditions thousands of animals face when transported long distances to slaughter.
The Handle With Care coalition - the RSPCA, the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) and the International League for the Protection of Horses – is using undercover footage to highlight journeys that can cover thousands of miles by road and sea, including sheep transported from Australia to the Middle East, cattle from Brazil to Lebanon, horses from Spain to Italy and pigs from Canada to Hawaii.
Following pressure from MEPs and Compassion in World Farming’s ‘Stop the Bull Ship’ campaign in 2005, the European Commission announced an end to export refund subsidies for live cattle exports to the Middle East. In a statement Mr Nicholson said,
“European Union taxpayers are no longer unwittingly subsidising the unnecessary export of live animals over long distances, but the practice is still occurring far too often both inside and outside of Europe.
“This trade is not only cruel, but journeys of this distance are completely unnecessary. Slaughter should be carried out as locally as possible and meat transported on the hook, rather than on the hoof.
“It’s time we ended the outdated and totally needless suffering. I will continue to push the European Commission to lead by example and ensure all unnecessary long-distance animal transportation is ceased and that all European countries adhere to legislation already in place.”

Commenting on Paisley and Ahern’s visit to Ballymena, Cllr Mark Cosgrove, the UUP Trade and Tourism Spokesperson commented “As someone who predicated Paisleys political u turn several years before it actually happened, even I was astounded by the recent event in Ballymena between Paisley and Ahern. Why do we need a foreign politician to helicopter in to Northern Ireland to open a fantastic new facility? Is the first minister of Northern Ireland not now able to do anything without Sinn Fein or the Irish Governments involvement? Even using Sinn Feins language in referring to Northern Ireland as “the North of Ireland”. The so called “joke” about how he had previously snow balled a visiting Irish Premier did not make me laugh but instead think about the previous 40 years and the sheer wasted opportunities to create a normal society that he successfully scuppered. The speeches of intolerance, the polarisation of the Unionist people, the Lundy’s and the traitors. Now we find that non of these things were ever based on deep seated beliefs, however unpalatable they may have been to most secular Unionists. Having split Unionism, The Presbyterian Church and the Loyal Orders the events of the last few months have shown us all that we could have moved society on so many decades ago, and all it seems Paisley really cared about was getting to the top of the political ladder. The progressive forces within Unionism over those 4 decades can scarcely believe let alone understand all of this but the real losers were the long suffering people of Our Wee Country for whom real progress towards peace and stability could have commenced many, many years ago. Now isn’t that ironic, don’t you think ?”

Kenny Donaldson, an UUP Party Officer has expressed concern at the ‘increased terrorist threat’ posed by dissident republicans.
Kenny was responding to comments made by the Chief Constable yesterday when he said that; dissident republicans are inept but dangerous.
The Chief Constable indicated that Security was being stepped up across Northern Ireland in answer to the evolving security situation.
In a statement, Kenny said: “Last night, I travelled from Coleraine to my home at Crossmaglen and I was stopped on five occasions by Police check-points, it is clear that dissidents are planning further operations and I would ask the public to be patient and supportive of the efforts of the PSNI. Security check-points are designed to root out terrorist activity and the public must be prepared to experience some minor discomfort in the pursuit by our Police to crush terrorist activity at source.
“It is clear that there continues to be people within the community who have not understood or indeed, refuse to accept, the changed political and societal dispensation Northern Ireland has entered. There continue to be wreckers out there who are prepared to reap misery upon the Northern Ireland community.
“It is difficult to understand the mindset of those who wish to continue engaging in terror as a means of furthering ‘so-called political objectives.’ The reality is that the terror campaigns of their sister organisations before them were futile; they failed and achieved nothing but plunge this Country into civil strife.

“The Provisional Movement and its’ political leaders have immense responsibility in all of this. Sections of their ‘republican community have fractured’ and this has happened because they promised that community the ‘undeliverable for decades,’ they used physical force republicanism as a means of trying to overthrow the Northern Ireland State, that failed and they need to face up to this.
“Northern Ireland’s place within the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is now protected in International Law via the consent principle my Party, the UUP fought and won in the political settlement of The Belfast Agreement. It’s time people got real, it’s time people put their shoulder to the wheel in building Northern Ireland as a place where all people, irrespective of class or creed are given a quality of life which has been denied them previously, that should be the priority of all who claim to represent people,” concluded Kenny.

Ulster Unionist Party Parades spokesman Michael Copeland has described the latest Sinn Fein equality initiative as a ‘Trojan horse of known pedigree’ and the latest offensive in a long practised campaign of cultural warfare.

In a statement Mr Copeland said,

“If Sinn Fein truly care about equality they would do well to examine and comment on the disparity of treatment regarding the memory of the thousands of members of the security services who gave their lives generally at the hands republican terrorists, and who by so doing bought time for many of those currently involved in the Stormont administration to come to their senses.

All right thinking people must be seriously concerned at the £181 Million expended by the Bloody Sunday inquiry which equates to almost £13 Million per casualty. When this amount is balanced against the paltry sums expended to bring to justice those responsible for Bloody Friday, La Mon, Teebane and a whole host of other atrocities, many find it hard to stomach the fact that those who perpetuated by rhetoric on the one hand and by death and destruction on the other the thirty years of terror now appear to be calling the shots.”

Kenny Donaldson, UUP Community and Voluntary Sector Spokesman has welcomed confirmation by the Government of the Irish Republic that they are to invest, funding of almost €250,000 to a company set up by Orange lodges based along the Border.
Éamon Ó Cuív, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs who is also grandson of former Republican leader, Éamon de Valera confirmed that the company, Cadelmo Ltd, will receive almost €250,000 to facilitate its’ efforts in operating a community-based initiative in Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Monaghan. The funding will support the work of a development officer who will cater for the needs of Orange lodges and other groups that meet in Orange halls in the counties.
Kenny stated: “This investment by the Government of the Irish Republic in promoting Orangeism is symbolic. For too long, Protestants living in the border counties of the Republic were a ‘forgotten, overlooked minority.’ I welcome the fact that at long last, the Dublin Government recognize this and now appear to be up for the challenge of redressing past failings.
“Orange Halls are no longer places, which merely facilitate protestant culture and religious expression. They have become ‘community service hubs,’ which bring people together, whether that is for the purpose of education, culture or recreation. In many rural areas especially, Orange Halls are the focal point for the community and it is only right and proper that the valuable community services they provide are supported by mainstream Government.”
Kenny added: “Relationships between the two jurisdictions of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are forever evolving, within the political class there appears to be, a new resolve to accommodate difference. The challenge is to ensure that the ‘good intentions of politicians and Governments’ are translated into meaningful actions at the coalface.
“The Republic of Ireland alike Northern Ireland must face up to the debilitating scourge of sectarianism, which has plagued both jurisdictions. Places of religious and cultural significance are still being attacked on both sides of the border, that is not acceptable. These crimes are crimes of hate and contempt for difference and all responsible Governments must provide responsible leadership in extinguishing the fires of sectarianism wherever they are found.”