Elliott leadership under scrutiny.
A caucus of unsettled Ulster Unionist party members met in secret last night to take stock.
The loose alliance, the names of whom I have been given is known as ‘The 2010 Group’ from across Northern Ireland. They are increasingly disenchanted with the direction in which the leadership of the party is moving.
This prompted a number of people of a moderate disposition to come together to examine the possibility of realising a new bridgehead in politics the goal of which would be to appeal to a wider political and business community. One senses there is an impatience among many of these figures from within the business community at what they see as backward looking politics gripping the Ulster Unionist Party.
One source said, ” we’re open to reaching out to other parties here and in London.”
This is yet another irritation for UUP leader Tom Elliott. Ends.
Eamonn Mallie
This is yet another irritation for UUP leader Tom Elliott. Ends.
Eamonn Mallie
Tom has just posted this on his Facebook page:
“The (Dame Dehra) Parker Programme is an excellent initiative aimed at promoting the participation of Women at all levels of the Ulster Unionist Party”
The programme has been in place for just over a year with Sandra Overend at the helm? Is it too little too late? Will any of them ‘handbag’ Eamonn?
Egos, abilities, aspirations, or lack thereof, do not determine whether or not a group constitutes a caucus and this group clearly qualifies – it is a caucus, whether you like it or not.
Sandra Overend? This would be Billy the Potato’s daughter? All for the advancement of women, providing your da is a back-bench MLA.
The purpose of appealing to the “business community” would be to secure funding for a new political party. That is a good opportunity for Mr Elliot to get rid of the mavericks, muppets and malcontents, who would then suffer the humiliation of being beaten by the likes of Alliance…
This is true. But it’s also very true that the UUP membership (overwhelmingly rural, elderly, male – 1/3rd from Fermanagh, the smallest of NI counties) is completely out of touch and non-reflective of the UUP’s voters, especially it’s voters east of the Bann where the UUP has the vast majority of its seats.
That said, I doubt Tom will be toppled before next May’s election. After next May I expect the voters’ verdict be so clear it will penetrate into the deepest rural fastnesses, and change will happen.
Though perhaps there will be change before then… progressives do need to organise, because there is no pro-Union party reflecting the views of progressive voters (perhaps 33-40% of the pro-Union electorate at least) at the moment.
Is it usual for journalists to ignore the blindingly obvious fact that handing over a list of names to them is not an innocent act?
Whilst I can see why Eamon would be willing to be used in this way,surely it bears analysis in the piece above?
Ultimately you change things from within not outside – that was always the way.
But is this any longer possible with Elliott moving further and further to the right?
Robinson’s speech about integrated education (and his follow-up about what he called “a united society”) were far more appealing to me than anything Elliott’s or his supporters have said – seems like Robinson’s seizing the chance to seize yet more of the centre-ground from a UUP leader who’s keener on winning the odd TUV transfer…
I know nothing about what Mallie refers to… but still I do question whether the ‘change from within’ argument still holds water. That said, I think next May’s verdict on Tom’s leadership will be so dire that change will happen after that (but by then it could be too late?)
This is true, there is no change from within. In fact, things are now going backwards at a depressing and increasing rate of knots…
“Robinson’s speech about integrated education (and his follow-up about what he called “a united society”) were far more appealing to me than anything Elliott’s or his supporters have said”
The sad thing is that I can’t even imagine Elliott coming up with such a potential game-changer.
Can you tell what nfluence any MP from here is having at Westminster. You don’t really think that wee Ian would have been sitting on the cabinet if he had managed to outvote Lady Hermon? Pigs might fly.
PU, firstly its Fermanagh & South Tyrone that has roughly a quarter of the membership,(and obviously has one 18th of electorate) of those who travelled to Belfast they were roughly equally male and female, and majority were in their 60′s but still a large number of middle aged and a few under 40. Although most are quite traditional, about a quarter would be “liberal or Progressive” but still supported Tom (although he did not need any F&ST votes to win a clear victory). If anything the membership is more liberal than most voters, why do you think they went to the DUP? can you show me where you get your 33-40% from?
Exactly.
Its not for the likes of ordinary mortals like us to know how journalists get their stories. The calls for transparency we hear from Sluggers core team…..does not extend that far.
We work here on the assumption (possibly erroneously) that the story was literally handed to a journalist who goes all Neville Chamberlain on us “I have in my hand a pice of paper….”.
To me this crosses the line between a journalist observing, reporting and analysing and being part of the story himself.
Journalists dont of course criticise other journalists in front of civilians so we wont know their thinking.
We might get told off for diverting this thread away from its original purpose……but I think a reasonable person might claim that the circumstances in which the story became “public” is at least as interesting as the story itself ……..and the story is hardly an earth shattering revelation.
as yes the Hatfield Talks scoup, where Eamonn basically acted as a DUP proxy, added alot to his credibility.
Eamonn has pulled this stunt several time on Slugger, using this site for self promotion of his career. It does nothing for his cedibility or that of Slugger and I dont see why a professional who undermines the principles of free discussion online should be given the prominance this site give him.
its called Democracy Cynic, our MPs have the same vote as anyone else,
GT – indeed, and we must assume no one of any significance was on the list, or he would surely have mentioned them?
Which is “journalism”.?
A……Discovering the list and publishing the names?
B……Getting handed a list and NOT publishing the names?
Answers on a £10 note to me……..
I think the UUP needs to die. They’ve got nothing to say apart from “We’re not the DUP!” At least the Tory link up would have given them a distinct identity but that was too much for the backwoodsmen! The McCrea wing needs to go off and either form their own party or link up with the Alliance in some way and the Fermanagh brigade should join up with either TUV or the DUP.
and you could imagine Robbo doing so yrs ago? its different when your leader, however I have heard Tom say very similar things in the past, and it probably is the view of most unionists.
The Alliance Party would be mad to touch any of the UUP dissident “leaders”. It would change the nature of the AP. Maybe some AP people would welcome that. Some wouldnt.
The real prize is the “liberal unionist” vote..which will filter to AP in a generation or so.
But “liberal unionism” is as vibrant as a Monty Python parrot.
soooo , whos in the 2010 group and how much does membership cost? its gota be better than what we have at the moment
The UUP membership is certainly not “more liberal than most voters” and you’re deluding yourself if you think that’s the case. The people who elected Tom Elliott are unrepresentative of moderate pro-Union voters.
Just over 50% of the Unionist electorate voted for the Agreement in 1998, yet now the UUP is left with just over a third of the pro-Union vote in 2010. (Meanwhile Alliance and Sylvia Hermon swept up moderate votes by the thousand)
Now Tom Elliott – with his opposition to even attending a GAA match (is this some kind of equivalent to the Orange Order banning someone from attending a Catholic Mass?) – is alienating the moderate centre-ground of pro-Union Northern Ireland voters and seems to want the UUP to move so far to the ultra-right that they are competing with Jim Allister for votes…
It sucks, it’s depressing and Tom is heading for disaster next May unless he gets himself together and appeals to the centre-ground. (which is seeming less and less likely by the day)
Meanwhile the DUP under Peter Robinson want to create a commission to bring about Shared Education, and are talking about their opposition to ‘benign apartheid’ and Robinson is saying he wants to build “A United Society”.
The DUP and Alliance seem to know what they’re doing. Tom’s UUP doesn’t seem to have a clue.
Actually Robinson did say his first speech as a DUP member was a call for integrated education (which was unpopular in the DUP at the time).
If Tom Elliott believes in a united society, and in shared education, and in a shared future then why the hell doesn’t he speak up and say so???
- and he should jolly well find the guts to say he was wrong and to go along to a GAA game while he’s at it!
You can’t aspire to be leader of Northern Ireland without representing all of Northern Ireland’s people and Tom’s got to learn that lesson fast or go down as one of the shortest lived UUP leaders in history.
The voters, they are waiting. They will have their say next May.
Many things would be better than a tired old back-to-the 50s anti-GAA etc etc approach.
That said, no point in hopping on the first bandwagon that comes along – at least not until these “Union 2010″ folks are willing to reveal themselves and say what they stand for.
If a bandwagon shows up “union 2010″ are more likely to throw themselves under it than jump on it.
“If a bandwagon shows up “union 2010″ are more likely to throw themselves under it than jump on it.”
Good one! They’ll still tell you that the Tory link-up was a brilliant idea that would have swept to victory if only the Farmer Faction didn’t mess up its implementation, but they don’t seem to notice that Ms Herman and ilk throwing their bandy legs into the wheels of that particular banwagon didn’t help its progress or that the total absence of voters for the linked candidates might have been a clue about the actual level of popular support.
Nevin
With Sandra Overend at the helm the ship is bound to sink.With Sandra as womens development officer not even Tom Elliott would win the nomination for Mid Ulster. No man need apply if her Dad decides to stand down
PU
You are becoming more hysterical in every post – we are now back in the 50s are we ?
Did Tom not even pause for breath at the year of his birth in 1963 ?
Any attempt by the UUP during the Assembly election to hail an Overend candidature should be met with utter derision. She’s a “rising women” in the UUP because her da has the Assembly nomination in Mid Ulster in his gift and I think Billy wants to retire…..watch this space.
Neither my words nor my style. I heard rumour of this event late this afternoon. Alerted to mention of my name, I read this post and comments for the first time in the last few minutes, having just returned home from a business meeting. I am fully focused and was working until the early hours this morning trying to encourage investment in Northern Ireland from North America. There are critical decisions to be taken regarding finance, business, investment and reform in our society, frankly I have better things to be doing with my time.
“…total absence of voters for the linked candidates might have been a clue about the actual level of popular support”
Alias,
A “total” absence?
Now don’t you start getting carried away with the developing hysteria on this thread.
There were approximately 100,000 votes for the Conservative and Unionist candidates, you can argue it was less than expected but hardly that there were a “total absence”.
Anon
Totaly agree.Billy will not stand down unless Sandra gets the seat. Sandra’s election slogan could be “Vote for me because I am a woman”. Remember this is the woman who told the world that UUP cadidates are picked on merit!!!!!!.Tell that to Paula Bradshaw
The ’2010 group’ seems to be determined to ruin any chance Tom Elliot has of getting the show on the road. And with another sick UUP story about to break in Mid-Ulster things keep getting worse. The Dame Dehra Parker syndrome (based in Mid-Ulster) has not been very useful to Paula B. or the Leslie woman in E Londonderry. But my bet is that, having already emasculated any Magherafelt hopefuls, the politically inept Overend woman will be out to make sure that no other experienced UUP candidate from the Mid-Ulster camp will stand a chance at selection. I am well aware that not even Tom Elliot himself could get past her equally politically inept daddy’s dynasty there.
I have a liking for Tom’s easygoing Fermanagh style courtesy – but I also believe that he needs to, and is very capable of sorting out the blatant nepotism and the political in-breeding of the Mid-Ulster UUP Association.
Since ‘Dame Dehra’ Sandra Overend (nee Armstrong) came along to the Mid-Ulster Association it has lost over 70% of its active membership! – down from approx 140 to approx 40 members.
Reg Empey made not the slightest effort to reclaim these people in his tenure. McCrea might have! Tom just has to!
Pia Lugum
Take it the sick story about to break is that 2 councillors(1 from Cookstown and the other from Magherafelt)have the nerve to stand against Sandra. What idiots are they? Do they not know that UUP candidates are picked on MERIT. After all these two have only over 20 years of council experience,represented the party on numerous bodies and are well respected in the community. Where as Sandra has worked for her Daddy as a secretary since he was elected(keeping work within the family) has no experience of local politics but has the most important criteria that being she is a woman and part of a family dynasty.
No man need apply for Mid Ulster.
as yes the Hatfield Talks scoup, where Eamonn basically acted as a DUP proxy, added alot to his credibility.
He should copy, doctor and repost a ‘crazy’ list as evidence of the benefits of the annual Orangefest pre coat trailing rubbish tip bonfire. Perhaps that would help his credibility in your eyes?
Any predictions on how the UUP are going to fare in the next election? Cause the stuff you posted before the Westminster elections was so amusingly wrong I’m still laughing now.
Just keep shooting the messenger DR it should keep the laughs coming in the weeks and months to come.
A current concept in social policy research is that of “capture” eg civil service ‘captures’ and absorbs people from elsewhere into its culture , including researchers.
Strikes me this could apply to journalists/media workers . and the political sphere.
Has Eamon been ‘captured’ and does he know it to put up resistence?
“…does he know it to put up resistence[sic]?
I don’t know about that, Granni, but let us hope, since he is a scribe, that he knows how to put up resistance.
she was the Westminster candidate and managed to marginally increased the share of the vote from the last 3 or 4 elections, counts for something I presume, I dont like family dynasties, but it shouldnt exclude anyone either if they put the work in. On the other hand the Cookstown councillor is one of the hardest working in this part of the country and has strong support, if the nomination was based on service then of course he is well ahead, but the need to improve the “age and gender profile” is critical too.
Drumlin Rock
Age and gender are vititally important for any party but to be selected just because your a woman shouldn’t be allowed to happen. Mid Ulster will be a test for Tom Elliott as he can’t allow his party’s woman officer not to be selected after she spoke at his launch although everyone would agree that she will not be the best candidate. It will be interesting to see how the other 2 councillors react.
It will not matter to Sandra how she gets the nomination but you have read it first here on Slugger she WILL get it.
He has perhaps contracted that Stockholm syndrome where you start identifying with your captors. I think this is a common problem with journos.
I think even the best journos get captured as you put it. Showing up at same social functions (that risible football match) as well as the charidee circuit and a working day in close communication with politicians will inevitably erode professional standards for both.
If I ever inflict myself on an electorate and am carried shoulder high in victory, I will make it a rule NEVER to speak to a journalist except in the most basic but courteous terms.
I certainly cant envisage attending a social function and speak to a journo……and I certainly would not tolerate them addressing me by my first name.
Bradshaw v.Overend
Which one would the voters pick?
Which one would UUP members pick? (assuming Bradshaw was a member)
Certainly not.
“Just call me Horse, ” that must be your refrain.
Having a vote and having influence are two different things.
That’s the reality of democracy most of the time Drumlin.
Bradshaw all the way
She couldn’t be any worse than David “McNasty” McNarry. How this man is a politician is beyond not just me but many Presbyterians in Newtownards. Would there be any chance of an exchange between the two?
Slug,
Yes I noticed that too.