UUP – Page 22 – Slugger O'Toole

Looking back at the UUP

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 5, 2010, 10:50 am

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UUP Assembly candidates

Tom Elliott is evolving. He’s more confident speaking than three months ago during the leadership campaign. He has a sense of timing, and avoids forced humour. When interviewed he gives brief answers that avoid waffle. Lots of people at conference described him as honest and genuine. And from within the party, there wasn’t a word said against him yesterday. At times, he appeared a lonely, shy figure, wandering around the emptying conference hall rather than forcing himself out into the …

The elephants in the #uupconf room (updated)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 4, 2010, 12:23 pm

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While Lord Craigavon got an mention as proceedings started this morning at the UUP conference, there are other absent friends who will not be toasted. The party chairman laid into the Westminster candidates who have deserted the UUP in recent weeks. Trevor Ringland, Paula Bradshaw and “Flash” Harry Hamilton are off the Christmas card list. The other elephant in the room is Lagan Valley activist John Lund. An anonymous complaint was lodged about comments he made on the Nolan show …

UUP Conference (updated) #uupconf

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 4, 2010, 10:29 am

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UUP Assembly candidates

Updated with audio from throughout the day’s conference. Coverage of the conference begins at the bottom of the post.

‘Freddie’ quits the UUP to sit by the phone

Slugger O'Toole on December 3, 2010, 1:04 pm

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Further to Mick’s post last week, it seems that Harry doesn’t regard his end-of-the-line with the UUP as the end of his political ambitions: From the Beeb: “Harry Hamilton, a well-known Freddie Mercury impersonator, polled more than 10,500 votes in Upper Bann in the general election. However, he was rejected as a candidate for next year’s assembly elections. Mr Hamilton said he was keeping “an open mind” about the future but would be open to an approach from the Alliance …

UUP Conference preview #uupconf

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 2, 2010, 12:00 pm

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In a break from tradition, the Ulster Unionist Party is following the example of Barcamp and organising this weekend’s conference as an un-conference. Delegates will register as normal and pick up their name badges on the way into the Ramada Hotel, but may be surprised to be given a pad of post-it notes and a pen too. During the short welcome session, party chairman David Campbell will encourage delegates to propose sessions based on policy areas or common constituency issues …

Tom Elliott’s non U turn

Turgon on November 25, 2010, 11:29 pm

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I took HMS Vanguard to work for the first time today (normally Elenwe drives what is now referred to as new Gordon). I managed to turn off the sat nav and the automated heater. However, I was completely unable to change the tuning on the radio: as such I was stuck with Radio Ulster rather than Radio 4. As such I heard the interview between Mark Carruthers and Tom Elliott. This came after the News Letter ran an article detailing …

Sir Reg to become a peer

Pete Baker on November 19, 2010, 3:08 pm

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Not entirely a surprise to hear that the former leader of the UUP, Sir Reg Empey, is to become a peer. Or that he was nominated by the Prime Minister, and Conservative Party leader, David Cameron. The BBC has the full list of new working peers announced today. Pete Baker

Paula Bradshaw looks through the yellow door

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 4, 2010, 10:34 pm

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Paula Bradshaw

One centre right door slammed shut, but another familiar middle of the road yellow door opened and Paula Bradshaw stepped from the remnant of UCUNF across to the Alliance. If you had an overactive imagination you might wonder whether having resigned from the UUP a couple of weeks ago, Paula was tidying around the house and stopped to read some of Ian Parsley’s old Alliance literature piled up in the corner of the room. But perhaps the reality is that …

Rocky (A5) road to Dublin?

ItwasSammyMcNally on October 26, 2010, 12:40 pm

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As the Irish government clings desperately on to both the country’s economic independence and to its tiny Dáil majority whilst simultaneously promising the Plain People in the South more pain in the shape of less pay, fewer jobs and disappearing public services it may seem surprising that they are still funding that road which winds its way through the middle of the Ulster countryside and for no obvious electoral advantage. Of course, all political parties in the South insist that …

Is it right they rule by rote?

Blank on October 11, 2010, 9:18 pm

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I’m off on a wee rant below, apologies. While Eamonn’s reproduction of a UUP communication to members has transitory interest, it could open up a broader discussion on the internal democracy of our political parties; how they manage policy setting, media protocols and transparency. A party wracked with disagreement and conflicting messages for nearly two decades like the UUP is long overdue a leader to stamp internal discipline and defined direction for external eyes. The immediate threat of ‘you go …

Tom Elliott and UUP disciplne

Eamonn Mallie on October 11, 2010, 4:33 pm

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Dear Member, First and foremost, on behalf of the Party I would like to convey my thanks to everyone for their support throughout this period of transition. Likewise, I offer my sincere thanks to the Party for electing me as its new Leader. This is a tremendous honour, and I will not be found lacking in my determination to guide and stimulate the Ulster Unionist Party’s resurgence. One of the first challenges that we, as a Party, must face is …

Trevor Ringland to resign from UUP

Turgon on October 4, 2010, 3:19 pm

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The BBC are reporting that Trevor Ringland is to resign from the UUP. He apparently told Talkback that he “had taken the decision reluctantly to resign from the party”. Ringland had apparently had discussions with the party leader and said (of Tom Elliott): “I think that we both want the same things for the people of Northern Ireland, it is just how to bring that about is the challenge.” Previously Ringland had said that Elliott was “…taking the party in …

UUP must accept decline is not temporary but a generational shift

Mick Fealty on October 1, 2010, 11:06 am

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Excellent analytical piece by the former UUP, now DUP member, Lee Reynolds (and late of this Parish) at the Critical Reaction blog on the roots of his old party’s underlying malaise. It cuts much more deeply and finely than any rash analysis of a single constituency. For instance, he highlights the essentially introverted nature of the beast: The UUP’s years of success had led to a complacency that blinded it to a steady decline in organisational capability. Its record of …

South Belfast UUP dump another of their Westminster candidates…

Mick Fealty on September 30, 2010, 12:34 pm

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I cannot think of another political party that would spend the money and effort on a candidate in one election, only to dump them in the next. And Paula Bradshaw could be forgiven for wondering whether Reg Empey meant it when he promised the Ulster Unionist party would prioritise bringing women into the Assembly party. To be fair to Sir Reg he is no longer leader. And by all accounts he will shortly be giving up his ministerial post. But …

Tom Elliott (updated with video of press conference)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 22, 2010, 11:42 pm

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Tom Elliott, UUP

Tom Elliott has won with a comfortable majority. His supporters will be travelling back home to Fermanagh with a feeling of contentment that it was a job well done. Basil and his supporters can take some comfort from his 31.4% share of the vote, which was in his zone of acceptability. The campaign highlighted the need for the UUP to take their brake off and shift out of reverse. Basil’s supporters will be desperately hoping that the party machine doesn’t …

(live blog) And the UUP leader is … Tom

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 22, 2010, 5:00 pm

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Tom Elliott, UUP

Tom 643 (68.6%), Basil 294 (31.4%), 937 votes, 1 spoiled ballot

NI Energy Minister: “I have received assurances from ESB on a range of issues relating to the transaction.”

Pete Baker on September 21, 2010, 5:07 pm

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The BBC reports that the Northern Ireland First Minister, Peter Robinson, wearing his other hat as leader of the DUP, and out-going UUP leader Reg Empey have jointly written to the Irish government to object to the proposed sale of NI Electricity (NIE) to the state-owned Electricity Supply Board (ESB). NIE is currently owned, through Viridian, by Arcapita, a Bahrain-based bank. A RTÉ report adds It has emerged that Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson and outgoing UUP leader Reg …

Elliott & McCrea – odds are that one of them will be elected

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 21, 2010, 1:00 pm

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A Pint of Unionist Lite notes that Paddy Power’s odds on the UUP leadership race have been changing. Tom Elliott was once “as short as 1/5 to win, whereas McCrea was the rankest of outsiders in a two horse race at 3/1”. This morning, the gap between the two horses candidates had narrowed to Tom Elliott: 4/11 Basil McCrea: 15/8 As part of their coverage of the second largest unionist party’s vacancy-filling process, the Newsletter set the two candidates some …

CGI: “a carefully selected group of the world’s best minds and most distinguished problem-solvers…”

Pete Baker on September 19, 2010, 11:49 pm

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As Alan has noted, Northern Ireland Employment Minister, and out-going UUP Leader, Sir Reg Empey will be attending this year’s meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative [CGI]. Last year the CGI held a special session on Northern Ireland, which the Employment Minister also attended. As did the NI Secretary of State and the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, along with others from within the NI Executive – and without. But what will the NI Employment Minister report back to the CGI on? Beyond the one-day …

Sir Reg won’t be voting for the next UUP leader

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 19, 2010, 8:43 pm

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Sir Reg Empey is over in New York this week wearing his Minister for Employment and Learning hat. A BBC online news article explains: Sir Reg’s itinerary this week includes a gathering of world leaders and a magazine event honouring the top 50 Irish-Americans working in finance … will visit the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a philanthropic institute set up by the software billionaire … attend a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, which was formed in 2005 to …