Until fairly recently Martin McNeely acted as press secretary to the UUP leader David Trimble. Since then he has remained outside the ebb and flow of party politics, but the result of last Saturday’s UUC meeting has prompted him to offer his old boss some advice on going forward through Slugger O’Toole. And, he warns, the struggle for the hearts and minds of his party is far from over.
By Martin McNeely
In the immortal words of Mr Adams “Well done David!”
Well done indeed we might agree. After weeks of plotting, counter plotting and much speculation as to whether last Saturday’s Ulster Unionist Council was one UUC too far, our enigmatic leader lives to fight another day.
It truly was a remarkable result for David Trimble. He may still have only a 5% majority lead in the UUP, but that’s the point isn’t it? Despite the background talks and stories of a new anti Trimble pact, he STILL had a 5% lead! In a sense then, he’s able to turn the tables. No longer must observers focus on the ability of 45% of the UUP to de-stabilise the Trimble leadership. The question now posed, is how will the dissenters come to terms with a leader they cannot shift? The forlorn looks on the dissident faces after Saturday’s UUC said it all.
Where, though, does Trimble go from here?
If he wants to move more unionists towards a positive, confident, pro agreement position he needs to do two things.
The first priority for David Trimble is to unite the UUP. This is an up hill task to say the least, made more difficult by the fact that a percentage of the party (maybe 30%?) will never support him. But what about increasing his majority base from 55% to 65 or even 70%?
To do this he needs to sustain his focus on the constituencies. He needs to continue to spend time out and about in Northern Ireland. He needs to listen to his people, even love them! Goodness knows, he would shiver at the thought of such emotionalism. Why spend time mooching about a ploughing contest in County Antrim when he can sup the finest wine with polymath pals in London town?
But isn’t that the issue driving the doubts of his traditional backers? Trimble needs to be seen with his own people, identifying with them, impressing them. And he is impressive. He was quoted on Radio Ulster last week as saying “one doesn’t wish to blow one’s trumpet…” Why not David?! Why not vigorously tackle your opposition? Why not go on the offensive all the time – not just when your back is against the wall. Now is the time for a strategic plan of initiative to reassure Party grassroots that the internal turmoil has ended.
The second thing that Trimble has to do, is toughen his political stance. It may well be that as a result of UUP pressure; Downing Street may provide a trenchant monitoring mechanism body that can penalise (republican) defaulters from Stormont. But does that sound tough in Ballymena, Kilkeel or Portadown? Moreover is it something, which can off set concerns about the Royal Irish Regiment home battalions?
No doubt David Trimble is rightly holding to the Agreement he led part of the Unionist community into supporting. No doubt in so many respects history will record the benefits of such political courage. But his own Unionist community have not had a sense of closure, a concrete feeling that their enemies have been humbled too. In short they want the UUP leader to articulate the clear moral argument for the standing down of the PIRA Army Council.
This is not to stymie progressive politics. It is to consolidate peace. Ulster Unionists must recognise the republican electoral mandate, they must share government with Sinn Fein, along with linkages to Dublin. Unionists may have to recognise that unused local soldiers in the Royal Irish will have to return to civilian life. Likewise they have to recognise the need for further de-scaling of military installations across the Province. But must Unionists tolerate the existence of the IRA Army Council?
That is the issue upper most in the minds of ordinary Protestant voters. They do not FEEL that the Agreement is good for them, where is their quid pro quo? Of course they have peace, but in their minds, an impure peace, an unethical peace. Why do the republican movement still exist in paramilitary structure?
It is by taking a harder political stance on this issue that David Trimble will gain most ground amongst his doubting constituents, perhaps even Mr Donaldson himself.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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