Liberals have principles too…
I tuned in to this week’s BBC Inside Politics programme to hear Trevor Ringland castigated for leaving the Ulster Unionist Party shortly after Tom Elliott’s elevation to the Party Leader (which happened to be coincidental to my own departure). However, the underlying assumption was that “Liberals” somehow do not have principles, only hard liners do. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Trevor Ringland has principles, one of which is that pro-Union politics should be about the whole community, not just a segment of it. Like me, he found Tom Elliott’s comments about the GAA and gay pride ran contrary to those principles. It wasn’t just that Tom Elliott mentioned that he chooses not to attend GAA matches of gay pride events, it was that he made such comments in a gratuitous way; remember, he offered them up at a meeting, it is not that he was asked for his opinion on the subject. Why did he just “happen” to choose the GAA and gay pride marches to attack? Why is it he did nothing about it subsequently? The idea that party officials were “leafing through his diary” to find a GAA match for him to attend misses the point (let’s remember, he singled out the GAA, nobody asked him to), but it is also notable that he appears to have failed to find one…
The fact is that Tom Elliott’s comments were laced with sectarianism and homophobia – which was why, once they had come to my attention having entered the public domain, I came out in support of his opponent, Basil McCrea. People like Trevor gave him time to clarify his stance, and he failed to do so. Trevor does not wish to be in a party which has a man capable of such comments as its Leader, and so, as a principled man, he left. Like Trevor, I too do not wish to be in such a party. Like Trevor, I wished to give it a chance. Like Trevor, it became immediately apparent to me after Tom’s election that such a chance would not present itself. I know that many other principled people still in the party feel the same way as we do, and are beginning to doubt it is a serious vehicle for progressive politics in Northern Ireland.
As for the mysterious “160,000 non-voting Unionists”, all the evidence suggests there is a similar proportion of non-voting Nationalists. People like Trevor and me want a political system divorced from the sectarian spectrum. I would hazard a guess that most non-voters are fed up with politics being about “hard-liners” and “liberals” – they would rather have politicians able to deliver for the community they represent, and expert enough in relevant subjects to offer competent government. Currently, they are seeing too little of either.
In the end, it is precisely because Trevor and I are people of principle that we felt we had to leave the party. Many individuals in the party have principles we share, but the party itself quite evidently has none.
But you said on this blog less than a month ago that you resigned your party membership because you were not selected as an Assembly candidate in South Belfast, that your skills set didn’t match what the selectorate wanted.
You made no reference at the time to Elliott, the GAA, Gay Pride et al. Do you recognise that you may have a credibility problem to raise the matter now?
In addition, are you saying that if you had been selected you would then have quit the party immediately afterwards?
Read what I wrote:
I left because my rejection by the selectorate of the party in South Belfast told me clearly that there is a mis-match between what I have to offer and what they were looking for.
I put forward my offering as a progressive, pro-Union, community-based, moderate, and it was rejected … so I decided to leave the Party to seek out other activities and avenues where my skill-set could be put to better use.
The GAA and Gay Pride comments were further evidence that “there is a mis-match between what I have to offer and what they [i.e. remaining members of the UUP in South Belfast, but plainly also the Party Leadership] were looking for” – sadly, there is plenty more evidence where that came from.
It is now more than apparent that I could never have been selected, because of the party’s determination to move away from the type of politics that I (along with other Conservatives and Unionists candidates) stand for.
Please ensure all contributions are, at the very least, accurate – and play the ball, not the (wo)man! – Ed
Right you want accurate and the facts heres proof what paula bradshaw said senior McCrea supporter Paula Bradshaw said: “People have been contacting me since the election threatening to quit. I’ve just said to them ‘next week it’ll back to business’. If some people want to walk off in some big huff, let them go. I’m not going anywhere.”
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/basil-mccrea-backers-to-stay-despite-uup-leadership-defeat-14957427.html#ixzz11UxabUe3
Reply
just days before the south belfast uup selection meeting proof paula bradshaw said the above . proof she resigned from the party going off in a huff because she wasnt selected yet days before saying im not going anywhere if people want to go off in a huff thats up to them what breathe taking dis honesty and hypcrisy from paul bradshaw folks the article and evidence from the very mouth of paul bradshaw saying one thing and doing the complete other.proof paula bradshaw has no principles values or beleifs to her name clearly not cut out for politics
This is trolling – we have already covered this subject in depth.
Party unity and getting back to business was what I wanted. Yet it was not want the UUP Association in South Belfast wanted – instead, they wanted to pursue a path deliberately exclusive of the more moderate wing. This has been well covered on this blog and elsewhere.
What has not been well covered was the inappropriate behaviour of certain members of the party, some of them senior, and the unwillingness of the new leadership (who know all about this) to intervene in a selection process which resultantly had serious question marks over it.
I do not intend to cover this, as there remain many people in the party for whom I have a great deal of respect and deserve a fairer chance than I got, and in any case I added to my remarks: “If people are unhappy in the party, they should leave”. When the above behaviour became apparent, and then nothing was done about it, rather than making a public issue of it I simply followed by own advice.
I would advise no further comments suggesting I’ve “let anyone down” – frankly, people who have time to come on here and engage in groundless, bitter rants are revealing more about themselves than about me or anyone else. Or perhaps women aren’t allowed to make their own decisions?!!
I gave up time with my children, gave up significant work hours, gave up a social life – all ultimately to be stabbed in the back by my own party leadership. Remind me, who has been let down and who was doing the letting down?
The people who have really been let down are the people I sought to represent. People excluded from politics who certainly are not going to feel “included” by simply selecting the same old men in grey suits who have let them down for so long.
So for my part, I could now easily just drop out of politics and go about my own business. But no, I believe in these people and I believe they should be represented. So I will still seek to represent those people, in some form, and to campaign for candidates who are determined to include them in politics and in wider society and to stand up for their interests.
Comments on here are only further evidence that the UUP has no interest in such people, and indeed has little interest in anything other than its own existence. It is up to the UUP to prove otherwise, not me.
- Ed
paula deleting my posts is anti democratic
On the contrary, if you comment on a blog you accept the rules of that blog. Constant repeating of the same nonsense, writing things which are inaccurate, or frankly becoming obsessive are contrary to the rules of this blog (and most blogs).
This blog is designed as a forum for constructive debate, not personal attacks.I am quite serious when I say that obsessively sitting behind a computer screen finding blogs to comment on rather than getting out there and meeting/representing people in the real world is not good for you.
- Ed
Writing the same thing over and over again doesn’t make it any more accurate.
Write something accurate which adds to the debate, and it’ll appear.
- Ed
Well now we all know the real reasons you cut and run.
Well paula people have a different opinion of things so you are going to have to accept that.
Hi Paula,
I’m genuinely sorry that you have decided to leave the UUP. I enjoyed the times we worked together.
I hope you will be happy in the Alliance Party.
Regards and best wishes,
Alex.
Hello Paula,
First may I wish you all the best in Alliance.
Several questions come to mind.
First, how was someone so obviously bright and broad minded like yourself ever attracted to such an ‘in the trenches’ party as the UUP?
Secondly, how do you counter the claim that alliance can only maintain the status quo and not move it on as national parties might?
Hi Richard,
Thanks for your kind wishes.
Firstly, the UUP in 2004 (or, at least, part of it) was at the forefront of trying to get us out of the trenches. Its then Leader is, of course, now a prominent member of your party’s Lords team and is well respected across the political spectrum and across the British Isles. For people in places like the Village, Unionism remained then a defining characteristic but they also wanted people who would represent their interests – I found the DUP too hardline and that left what was then a moderating UUP.
Secondly, I think Alliance has moved things on and will continue to do so. As it expands, people will begin demanding a more relevant type of politics, with less focus on an already settled “constitutional question”. The “national” (to be clear: London-based) parties have stood in various forms during all this time, but have failed to score a significant vote since the Agreement (the Conservative candidate got just over 100 in my constituency last time around, behind the Workers’ Party) – so it’s not as if the option hasn’t existed, but the voters have never wanted it. (The potential advantage of UCUNF was that it offered an NI-based option linked to a “national” party, thus ensuring some kind of NI identity, which is important no matter how “Unionist” you are.)
It’s a matter of strategy. I think firstly we need to establish that identity-based or constitution-based politics doesn’t work when you actually have to govern yourselves. Only then will “national” parties have any chance. However, even then I’m not sure an outworking exactly in line with England is necessarily what should or will happen – you will find a spectrum of ideology-based parties which is specific to NI. Scotland is going the same way, of course, where again the SNP takes votes which would in other jurisdictions go to other parties (including yours!) – and in fact the Conservative-LibDem-Labour spectrum is coming under pressure in England itself (with the potential for re-alignment and also a growing challenge from the Greens, UKIP and others).
Many thanks for your well considered and delivered response.
Something tells me you know me from the ‘your party’ part! Although I know we haven’t met.
I have on occasions voted tactically for alliance, and I know Naomi very well. I will in all likelihood vote for Alliance for the Assembly elections.
You make some good and thoughtful points but I feel that Alliance is (for what of a better word) a poor substitute for proper non sectarian left right politics. Also I think Alliance are vague on some issues that matter to people, for example the union.
I may have seen you on other blogs!
No party is perfect, but quite frankly I think the Alliance Party has always favoured power-sharing devolution within the UK with cross-border bodies as that model was always the only realistic foundation for political progress. Only someone completely out-of-touch would seek anything else right now…
I can’t possibly think what other blog you might mean!
I can see the attraction of Alliance at the moment and I entirely understand your decision to join them. I just wonder do converts like yourself and Harry wish they took a more definitive line on the Union, coming as you are from a Unionist party.
Either way I do wish you all the best. I’ve no doubt it’s a loss to the UUP to have a young talented woman like yourself leave but it says more about the state of that party and it’s backward looking nature that you had to. Their loss.
i applaud your stance and position. What other field but politics and soccer-team supporting do we praise people for never changing their mind or allegiance. As I mention on Ian’s blog, the time is ripe for intelligent articulate liberal unionists to form a pan community secular liberal centre right party that can capture the imagination of the people and cut the artery of sectarian politics.
May I also add however, the only reason I didnt personally join Alliance was its pro Euro stance which seems to be borne from principle and not economics but thats not the most pressing issue in NI.
Also as I mentioned in other blogs, Alliance should consider courting the disaffected in the SDLP.
Thanks Pat.
I have to say the Alliance Party did not “court” me as such, it’s just its position as the sole party committed to genuine cross-community politics became undeniable after the UUP’s retreat and I chose to join it. I suspect the same applies to Harry.
I’ve no doubt, after Margaret Ritchie’s ill-judged “United Ireland is Number One Priority” speech, there’ll be those currently aligned with the SDLP who do similar.
I think the party’s stance on Europe has become more realistic, ironically perhaps since Ian was their candidate! How things change!