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Owen Paterson MP: The preparations are well under way for an historic Conservative election campaign in Northern Ireland

Owen Paterson MP is Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

We have made a great deal of progress over the past year in Northern Ireland in achieving our main objectives.  These are to develop our relationship with the Ulster Unionists, offer national politics to people in Northern Ireland, support the political process, help to make devolution work and establish ourselves as an alternative to Labour that can deliver the change Northern Ireland needs.

Last December, in a hugely successful speech to the Ulster Unionist conference, David Cameron set out our vision for bringing Northern Ireland back into the mainstream of United Kingdom politics.  He voiced his determination to end the situation whereby people could only vote for local parties, who could never form the government let alone have ministers in it.  He declared his intention to offer voters a dynamic new political and electoral force of Conservatives and Unionists.

Since then, things have moved forward.  In February, both the Conservative Party in Northern Ireland and the Ulster Unionists agreed to establish a Joint Committee to oversee our campaigns for the European and Westminster elections.  This has continued to meet regularly ever since.  At the European elections in June, Jim Nicholson was elected as the Conservatives and Unionists candidate with the highest vote of any pro-union candidate.  He is now a full member of the Conservative group in the European Parliament.  We are now the only party with MEPs in every part of the United Kingdom.

Our next big task is the general election. A procedure for selecting candidates is in place and this is underway.  Each party will short-list candidates who will be put before the Joint Committee consisting of representatives of the Conservatives and the Ulster Unionists.  Every candidate will ultimately have to have the endorsement of the Committee and be ratified by David Cameron and [UUP leader} Sir Reg Empey.

Owen Paterson MP: Ten years on from the Belfast Agreement

Owen Paterson MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, marks the anniversary of the Belfast Agreement with an analysis of its long-term effects.

Today is the tenth anniversary of the Belfast Agreement. It was a turning point and we should not forget today the hideously difficult decisions taken by a number of courageous Conservative Secretaries of State, Tom King, Peter Brooke and Patrick Mayhew. With the support of Margaret Thatcher and John Major, they did much of the political heavy lifting before the arrival of Tony Blair on the scene. It would be churlish not to give him credit for concluding the negotiations but we should also remember with gratitude all who were involved, particularly the American and Irish Governments.

The Agreement was not perfect. Conservatives had substantial misgivings about the lack of any linkage between the early release of terrorist prisoners and the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons. The Democratic Unionist Party also had strong objections which it sought to address through the St Andrews Agreement of 2006. However, the 1998 Agreement remains the basic template for the accommodation that we see today in Northern Ireland.

So how has it worked? Reaching the Agreement was one thing; implementing it was another. From the very outset it was bedevilled by what were called ‘constructive ambiguities’, particularly over weapons. This vagueness was probably vital to having an Agreement in the first place. Enabling both sides to interpret key passages in their own ways inevitably made it more difficult to put it into practice. Perhaps those who hail the Northern Ireland peace process as the blueprint for conflict resolution worldwide should give more attention to this.

Owen Paterson MP: A week in the life of the Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Owen Paterson, MP for North Shropshire and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, authors a diary of his week.

Thursday 13th March

Arrive in good time at the BBC Belfast Studios for their “Let’s Talk” show (Northern Ireland Question Time).  I’m on with Alastair Campbell, Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP, Conor Murphy, Sinn Fein and David McNarry, UUP. Not one of the subjects I mug up on comes up; not worth spending £25 on Alastair’s book.   

Friday 14th March

Huge Ulster fry before spending a day with Mark Durkan in Londonderry. We walk down to the Bogside to see the Bloody Sunday Trust museum. They are unhappy about my recent comments that the £181 million so far spent on Saville could possibly have been better spent on projects helping the present and the future.  A complete contrast next at the University of Ulster; I am shown their Intelligent Systems Research Centre.

Owen Paterson MP's US Diary

Owen Paterson MP is Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Following Shaun Woodward’s recent visit to the USA, I spent last week in Washington and New York promoting the Conservative Party’s important and continued role in the Northern Ireland peace process and to learn about American attitudes to the province.

Sunday 16th September

Most of the day at airports reading British and American Sunday papers - struck by the number of uniformed servicemen. Clearly respected by travelling Americans. It is inconceivable here: aeroplane with a sign saying, “We support our troops in the Middle East.” Even saw this on a garbage truck! Maybe Dannatt is onto something.

Monday 17th

Visits to the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation. Lunch with Nile Gardiner who is actively involved with the Giuliani campaign.  Afternoon: up to the Senate to see Jon Kyl, Senator for Arizona. Interested in comparisons with the N.I. peace process and the Middle East. Later, a brief meeting with Mel Martinez, Senator for Florida, before he rushes off to talk with fruit farmers.

Tuesday 18th

Meet Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary at the State Department, whose responsibilities include Northern Ireland. Very constructive discussion on her plans for promoting economic development.  Three senior missions are to go over in the coming months with a business conference in May. Most impressed she and the administration are still committed to help.

A complete contrast at lunch: Conservative bloggers who are astounded by my comments on the British electoral system. E.g., Isle of Wight returning one Conservative MP for 110,000 electors; a Scottish seat has fewer than 22,000.

In 2005 Labour needed 26,834 votes to win a seat, Conservatives 44,531.  I ram home that Labour polled only 21.6% of the total electorate.   We got a majority of votes in England.

Up the Hill to Congressman Peter King, who represents part of New York, including Long Island. With an Irish Republican background, he even wrote novels supporting the movement, yet was closely involved in the peace process.  He saw 9/11 as a turning point and is emphatic that American support will continue if the British and Irish Governments want it.

Back to the White House to see old friend Barry Jackson (pictured above) who has recently been promoted, effectively replacing Karl Rove - with the job title “Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs”. In contrast to Westminster, where the grander you are, the bigger your office, he has a window-free box, but only feet away from the Oval Office.

Fascinating dinner with John O’Sullivan, drained having just returned from promoting his latest book in Poland.