Tonight The Ulster Unionist Party under Reg Empey and David Campbell’s leadership entered a new political sphere. They joined David Cameron’s Conservative and Unionists in a New Political Force committed to fighting both the European and next General Elections. Sir Reg has lead his party executive to a unanimous decision with 90 voting for the arrangement with only two abstentions. I would personally like to congratulate both these two gentlemen and particularly Owen Patterson MP the Shadow Secretary of State and Neil Johnston the NI Conservative and Unionist Party.

All four have succeeded in achieving this historic event, Reg particularly has succeeded in leading his party to possibly the most successful and unanimous conclusion in since the early days of The Ulster Unionist Council.

This combination will gain from the eleven years of Tory reinvention finally successfully achieved by David Cameron and his ultra professional team. The UUP now have possibly the most professional political campaigning team in Europe. This will thus leapfrog the UUP from the doldrums of the last election into being on the Government Benches after the next election with Jim Nicholson MEP reinforcing his position as one of the senior members of the Conservative Group in the European Parliament.

The previous voting and the large non-voting electorate of this province are now being given the chance to vote for a completely national UK wide combination similar to Winston Churchill’s post war election victory over Clement Attlee which lead to 14 years of Tory rule .  The timing is very opportune to the mutual Social Justice policies which will see Ian Duncan Smith arriving in Belfast as early as the 3rd of December which will be a busy week as David Cameron will address the UUP conference on the 6th of December where One Nation Toryism will come to Northern Ireland.  Adventurous joint manifesto policies will start to being rolled out with phenomenal economic benefits for all Ulstermen.

I’ve just spent a day at a conference on the constitution at which his was the name most mentioned, more than Obama– by among others the Lords Speaker and the Chair of the public administration select committee.  Ah, if only we could get them to vote like that on serious things…. Amid an ocean of coverage at least 600 stories by Google’s count, for the deeply serious Martin Kettle, Sergie’s become a kind of latter day Spartacus of the Oldies, the symbol of a brief rebellion against ageism and a smaller rebellion by viewers.  You might say all this “people’s” stuff is getting impressive, were it not for the fact that I know my media, who in good times and bad, know how to keep a good popular story running. But then, it is a good story and people are enjoying it, so maybe the Sergeant saga is a real phenomenon after all.

It’s certainly not what Slugger set out to do, but if we help spread “throughout the body social a restless activity, superabundant force, and energy never found elsewhere, which, however little favoured by circumstance, can do wonders” that would fine with me…

The full question and answer quoted

Mrs. Iris Robinson (Strangford) (DUP): Everyone welcomes the progress that has been made in Northern Ireland, but does the Secretary of State agree with me that the real transition to full democratic progress will come only when the Assembly coalition moves from being a mandatory one to being a voluntary one, with parties having the same objectives?

Mr. Woodward: I am tempted to say that we should learn to walk before we run, but if the hon. Lady’s ambition is to reach that destination sooner rather than later, and if she believes that that will succeed, we really have made terrific progress in Northern Ireland.

And there was also a note of caution expressed in one question and answer yesterday.

Mr. Peter Hain (Neath) (Lab): I congratulate the Secretary of State on the astute way in which he supported the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister in reaching this important agreement—a relief to me, as I promised to be the last direct rule Secretary of State. Does my right hon. Friend agree that the process will take time? It was never envisaged that there would be a big bang devolution of policing and justice, but that it would be phased. That will now occur speedily, and relatively soon there will be progress towards that objective.

Mr. Woodward: Once more, I take an opportunity to place on record not only our thanks, but, I think, the thanks of all politicians in Northern Ireland for the work of my right hon. Friend. He helped to steer the parties to the St. Andrews agreement, which allowed the two Governments to provide and reach a framework within which the institutions could be restored. On the basis of that agreement, it was possible yesterday to produce the historic agreement by the First and Deputy First Ministers that will allow devolution to be completed. My right hon. Friend is absolutely right to recognise, however, the need for all of us to continue to support the Government in Northern Ireland in whatever way we can. Even if there are setbacks in the months to come, we remain resolved, and the Prime Minister remains resolved, to provide every help we can to ensure the completion of devolution. [added emphasis]

And on that new Process™

Mark Durkan (Foyle) (SDLP): I join the Secretary of State in welcoming the positive turn of events this week that will see the Executive meet again after 22 weeks. Does he agree that it was no active leadership that prevented the Executive from meeting during that time of pain for the economy, public services and the voluntary sector, and is he confident that there will be no slippage or slipperiness in the process outlined by the First and Deputy First Ministers and that a time scale is envisaged if not actually expressed?

Mr. Woodward: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his contribution to enabling the First and Deputy First Ministers to reach agreement yesterday on finding a way forward on the devolution of policing and justice. In relation to timetables and dates, I caution him and other hon. Members that the agreement reached yesterday by the First and Deputy First Ministers was carefully put together to recognise the respective positions of both parties and to recognise that the way to deal with that was to put in place a process that would build community confidence. I remind the hon. Gentleman of the words used yesterday by both the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister—they both want devolution without undue delay. [added emphasis]

As I suggested, back to St Andrews..

Brian Walker’s contribution yesterday raises issues around the media in the future.

Can I just take a moment to remind people that the media of the moment is under very real threat.

Ofcom has proposed a cutback in the number of hours that UTV has to produce as part of its license agreement with the regulator.  Remember these proposals are a floor not a ceiling.

Importantly this is a consultation - not a Jeff Rooker PPS14 style consultation, but one which Ofcom says everyone who is interested should involve themselves in.  It ends on December 4th and doesn’t report until early next year.

But within nearly hours of the Ofcom proposals UTV PLC puts PSB (public service broadcasting) under real threat by taking the Ofcom plans as a de-facto decision and announcing that nearly 35 jobs at the company are to go.

It blames regulatory decision (ignoring consulation) and economic circumstances.

The media has in the main made this a personality/jobs story given the high profile of many of the presenters and reporters involved.  But the reality is that this is a very real public story.  The only reason UTV does what it does is because it is regulated.  That independent factor provides real competition for the BBC.  It also provides real plurality - different perspectives on our world.  As it stands we’re on the cusp of losing a major part of that locally.

Unfortunately UTV is only grasping one side of the argument and that allows it to consider cutting jobs and spend.  It is ignoring a very real part of Ofcom’s new thinking about how to solve the problem - a separate fund administered locally in Northern Ireland which would preserve not only some of mainstream public service provision but also addresses Brian Walker’s focus around new media. 

Today the Culture Arts and Leisure Committee at Stormont is addressing this issue.  It should be streamed live on the Assembly website from around ten or ten thirty when the committee becomes a public sitting.  Sit in.

- So they’re all back to work and the lock step between Sinn Fein the DUP resumes. Which means a return, argues Chekov, to no transparency and no accountability… According to Ignited, none of the issues have been dealt with… And the UUP site thinks it’s an unappetising mixture of fudge and humbug… And if you think that was bad; just wait until a certain judicial review concludes…

- Question: what do you do as a party if your party membership lists get leaked on the Internet (via Mulley)? Answer, check party policy on the Human Rights Act and Data Protection… Jimmy Skinner with some sound common sense on the business of free speech… And Justin reckons Phil Woolas, not the BNP should be public enemy number one…

- Jenny sketches first thoughts on Irish Labour moving into Northern Ireland…

- Horseman with a demographic outline of Cookstown District before it gets washed away forever in the local government re-organisation next year…

- Via Ciaran a fascinating detail from the US election and the consonance between old Cotton picking areas, and the now isolated spots of Democrat representation in the southern states…

- And speaking of Ciaran, he reckons he’s caught the Irish Times entertaining a piece of scientific nonsense on Climate Change with undue reverence…

- While O’Neill reports on just the latest way London has found to treat the Welsh with casual contempt…

- Mairtin seems to have an endless store of filmic resources not granted ordinary members to the public (you wouldn’t have a copy of that other late 7Os classic on Belfast Punks: Shellshock Rock Mairtin?). Here he remembers Art McCaig and his 1978 film The Patriot Game…

- Tom Harris reckons that David ‘Flashman’ Cameron must have crashed and burned at PMQs yesterday since Iain is calling it a no score draw… But then the week before Cameron had been at his Flashman best/worst*…

- Don’t miss Unity’s comprehensive round up on Baby P: A week in the death of common decency…

- In the Republic Fergus wonders if the politician in Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell is winning out over the sharp financial analyst when he criticises the banks for now doing exactly the opposite of what got the the country into the pretty mess it’s now in…

- And on the John Sergeant business, Conall’s annoyed… There’s been questions in the Assembly…

- And finally, overheard in a Dublin butchers… And Chris explains why in a democracy, the best man rarely wins (of which more later)…

* Delete as appropriate

BBC One controller Jay Hunt told journalists the BBC had “every intention of reimbursing people” who had voted for Sergeant during the series. Why didn’t they have a hedge for withdrawal in the rules?

It’s ok Jay, I don’t want my money back. Give it to charity for God’s sake. And after yet another BBC hiccup – Jonathan’s coming back after all

Adds.. Another old mate’s footnote: “the vote for John Sergeant has been a genteel but gigantic two-fingered salute to the Widow Twanky gang now running the BBC. “ Doh Bob, that’s a bit rude from a frequent freelance who was one of the journalist liberators of Port Stanley..  (enough old mates for now Brian-Ed)

I particularly like the interactive map of the district where there are issues he’s been working on. His newsfeed is also nicely up to date (or at least until the day of the US election it was!!).

You can download his own Newsletter that carries specific detail of campaigns he’s been involved in. Like his council colleague Colin McGrath, he’s using video. But his video piece is trained on the issue of fish poisoning in the River Quoile.

His photo gallery is similarly issue focused and has good high resolution copies that can be easily used by journalists looking to illustrate local stories. It’s worth noting Cadogan’s statement on his experience of the Obama campaign (not yet on the website):

I was quite stunned to see the level of neighbourhood-based activity, mostly by people who were not necessarily members of any political party, coordinated over the web. Groups were organised in areas of only 150 to 250 houses and the number of people working on Obama’s campaign was estimated to be over one million.

Neighbourhood by neighbourhood is a councillor’s natural territory. It will interesting to see if Councillor Enright begins to find new ways to engage his neighbourhoods directly through is own site and that of Down Greens.

Btw, the use of the island, as a whole, as a gateway to Europe by drugs smugglers shouldn’t be a shock.  Some might blame the CTA, and others point to the need for e-border controls, but Ireland’s isolated coasts have been identified as being “nearly impossible to patrol”.

Also worth mentioning is the sunset clause [deadline May 2012] on those temporary provisions for electing a Minister for Justice by a “majority of Assembly members, present and voting, including a majority of designated nationalists and a majority of designated unionists.” That seems designed to counter the charge that “no nationalist need apply” “at all times”. Although any replacement arrangements will require agreement between the two majority parties in both designations.

And of that Department of Justice..

Previously noted was Sinn Féin’s u-turn on their preferred model of “two Ministers acting equally and jointly”. 

On the name of the department both the DUP and Sinn Féin appear to have retreated to “the NIO’s default position”.  From the Minutes of Evidence of the report from the Assembly and Executive Review Committee [12 February 2008]

2713. The Chairperson: The DUP is in favour of the Department being called the “Department of Home Affairs”, and the UUP is in favour of either “Department of Home Affairs” or “Department of Justice”. The SDLP is in favour of “Department of Policing and Justice” or “Department of Justice and Policing”, and Sinn Féin is in favour of “Department for Justice and Policing”. How do we propose to unravel that?

2714. The Committee Clerk: You can use the tried-and-trusted form of words that there were diverse opinions and the Committee was unable to reach a consensus on that for the purposes of the report. The original reason that the Committee considered the title of the Department was to assist the NIO in the development of the legislation so that it could use a generic title for the transfer of all of the functions that will be required. Potentially, that means that that detail will have to be ironed out prior to the conclusion of the legislation and the devolution settlement.

2715. The Chairperson: What is the current default in the legislation?

2716. The Committee Clerk: The NIO shows it in shorthand as “D o J”.

2717. Mr McFarland: The NIO is using “Department of Justice”.

2718. The Chairperson: That is the NIO’s default position, but it has not indicated that it will impose a name. Members, I can only suggest that we reflect on our respective positions, and perhaps consult with our parties. In the meantime, I ask the Clerk to draft the usual formula of words into the report to reflect the position of each of the parties that there is not a consensus in the Committee on the name of the new Department.