Further details of the Tory/UUP deal

More details have emerged of the alliance being forged between the Ulster Unionist Party and Conservative Party, which has been warmly welcomed by David Cameron.

The parties have agreed a memorandum of understanding, which the Conservatives have summarised as follows:

Both parties believe that a strong and stable Union of the constituent parts of the United Kingdom offers the best future for all its citizens.

Both parties believe that Northern Ireland has been isolated for too long from the politics of the United Kingdom.

Both parties believe that all the citizens of the United Kingdom should have the opportunity to vote for, and potentially participate in, their national government.

Both parties recognise the need to change politics in Northern Ireland, are committed to reaching out to the increasing numbers of alienated voters, and developing non sectarian politics in Northern Ireland.

1. The Conservatives and the Ulster Unionists have agreed to form a Joint Committee which will have as a core aim a desire to change politics in Northern Ireland in order to enable all electors in Northern Ireland to participate fully in the politics of the United Kingdom

2. The Joint Committee, consisting of 4 Conservatives and 4 Ulster Unionists, will oversee developments. It will be responsible for coordinating the identification of candidates for the General Election and have responsibility for running the European and General Election campaigns.

3. Jim Nicholson MEP will be the candidate for the European election and, if elected, will sit as a full member of the Conservative group, and shall be in receipt of the Conservative Whip in the next European Parliament.  He shall have the same rights and responsibilities of all MEPs taking the Conservative Whip.

4. Successful candidates at the General Election will be full members of the Parliamentary Conservative Party. They will have the same rights and responsibilities as all other MPs taking the Conservative Whip.

5. Both Parties recognise that the holding of office as a Member of Parliament, Member of the European Parliament, or Member of a Legislative Assembly, is a full-time position. Both Parties consider the holding of multiple mandates to be undesirable and neglectful of the needs of the electorate. Accordingly, the holding of joint mandates will not be permitted.  If an MLA offers him/her self as a candidate for a Parliamentary seat they will undertake to resign as an MLA on election to that Parliament.

My reading of this is that Sylvia Hermon - the sole UUP MP at present - would not therefore be expected to take the Conservative whip in advance of the general election; ie she would only be expected to sit as a Conservative if she seeks re-election in North Down on that basis.

Jonathan Isaby

Comments

[Liam in Preston]

And will she do so with "UUP" or "Conservative" on the ballot paper?

[burma toad]

Very good idea. Now all the Tories need to be a proper "unionist" party is to join up with some organisation that has a chance of winning seats in Scotland.... Any idea which one they should choose?

[Michael Shilliday]

Liam, the name is an outstanding issue that will be dealt with by January I think. It will be a joint entity though.

[Ken Stevens]

Well done.
It is long overdue that an area of the UK should be able to vote for a party of relevance to overall UK governance rather than just local affairs.

In terms of the wider objective of holding the UK together, I wonder if Mr Cameron will pay as much attention to nurturing England as he has to NI (a population less than just that of West Yorkshire) or, somewhat futilely, Scotland.

[Malcolm Stevas]

Both parties believe that all the citizens of the United Kingdom should have the opportunity to vote for, and potentially participate in, their national government.
That would be the UK, then? How about the West Lothian Question? Many of the English majority are more than a little fed up with their inequitable representation. What is Cameron's position, and if he says he will do something positive, can we believe him?

[Dorian the Englandism]

'Both parties believe that a strong and stable Union of the constituent parts of the United Kingdom offers the best future for all its citizens.'

Could we list these 'constituent' parts? If the answer from David is:

The Nations and Regions, dear boy, I shall coat my head with batter and deep fry my eye sockets until popped.

Here's the logic:

Northern Ireland has a (non-worky) devolved assembly because it is a nation. Except it is not a nation and never has been, it is a region.

England is a collection of random regions with no historical context but it is not a nation. Even 'though, for about 1000 years, it has been a nation with a flag and monarchy and all that.

'Cry God for Harry, the Regions and St. George!'

'And did those feet in ancient times
Walk about in the Regions for a bit?'

'I don't want to be Prime Minister of England.' There, look, you said the E word.

[Ulster Tory]

As an Ulster Tory - stuck until now - in an electoral system in which I could not make my voice heard on taxiation, pensions, defence and other important Westminster decisions I think this is a great move.
The 'Eng Nats' lines are tiresome

[Ken Stevens]

Ulster Tory
"The 'Eng Nats' lines are tiresome"

Only to those who simply cannot comprehend anyone feeling the same about England as they do about the other bits of UK.

[Malcolm Stevas]

"The 'Eng Nats' lines are tiresome"
To whom? The people of Ulster, whom I wish well but who represent approx 3% of the UK population? Or the English, around 84% - ?

[RichardJ]

"And will she do so with "UUP" or "Conservative" on the ballot paper?"

The Conservative and Ulster Unionist Party perhaps?

[Dorian and the colours they are fine]

Hi Ulster Tory,
An interesting paradox that you highlight. Whilst the last decade or so Labour has devolved to the periphery loosening the grip of the ‘English’ parliament, David’s actions with the UUP achieve the reverse. Bringing the periphery closer to England’s ample and ever-lactating bosom.

Sorry about being an English nat but we are more the effect of a cause than an effective cause (for now).

[Liam in Preston]

Richard - the thought struck me to use that name about a minute ago!

The new electoral registration rules allow parties to register joint-tickets (the two Christian Parties did so this year in the GLAs). The Conservative Party and UUP could use one of thier designated descriptions as a joint title, "The Conservative and Ulster Unionist Candidate" being pretty sensible to me

But this be the trivial talk for later, heh...

[Jake]

A truly remakable exercise in dodging the issue.
With the best will in the world (and I have only goodwill for Ulster), Ulster is peripheral to the UK electoral stakes.

England is not though. England is absolutely central to the electoral map and the dominant fact of it all.

If the UK were a plc facing problems, any new managing director worth his or her salt would be absolutely ruthless and unhesitating in ditching the problem areas ie Scotland, Wales and Ulster and then go on to concentrate on the core area of profitability ie England.
( to preempt the cries of "its not a plc" yes I know and its simply a useful parallel)

There are only 18 months max to the next election (ie May 2010) for the Tories to get serious about winning. To do this requires ditching a few self imposed mental barriers and the biggest of these is the Tory leadership's weird avoidance of drawing on the strength of England where they are strongest and their addiction to a futile pursuit of Scotland where they have no real chance.

Appealing to England must involve not only tax and spending matters but constitutional matters. It really is time to get to grips with this. It is quite simple. England must have a referendum on an English parliament and self government within the United Kingdom. Just like the other half of the marriage of nations that is the the UK ie Scotland,has already had.

This policy should be rolled out right away to give it time to be understood (not least with the party's own MP's!) and become part of the scenery. Allowing Brown and Labour to gain another victory for Labour because the Tories are too dozy, stupid and slow on the uptake to grab the obvious opportunity won't save the UK and will be massive diservice to all the four nations within it.

If it is if any use,just consider:
What would that cheap liar but tactically nimble character, Blair, have done if presented with the same problem?

[Raj]

England must have a referendum on an English parliament and self government within the United Kingdom.

At this time most people in England couldn't care about devolution - they're interested in keeping their jobs, finding new ones, bills, etc.

If this was pushed forward it would be taken as a sign that the Conservatives didn't have decent economic policies and were trying to deflect from that, and there could easily be a repeat of what happened to Hague when he was fighting his GE. That must not happen again.

Deal with devolution after the election - trying to use it as a springboard to victory at the next GE will be no more successful as the call to save the pound was in 2001.

[Dorian the Englandism]

Yep, Jake. Been saying the exactly for yonks now but everytime the E question is raised it is stomped on with a size nine.

Maybe the last remaining Tories in Scotland are being held hostage in Inverary Castle and everytime Cameron mentions England one of them gets belted about the soft parts with a bag of kneeps and tatties.

But there is one UUP member in Ulster and one lone Tory (not in Inverary Castle) in Scotland so I guess Cameron knows his core support.

The north of England is just soooo not worth it and the south will turn out regardless.

[Jake]

Raj, you couldn't be more wrong. English self governance within the UK should be part of the policy mix and is entirely compatible with the party's arguments in the economic fronts. There is no earthly tactical reason why this is not so. They are not mutually exclusive.

By the way, Hague's policy of save the £ was successful. Perhaps you havn't noticed.

[Benjamin]

As a Lib Dem I have to agree that the Tories should start calling for an English Parliament. Nothing would suit me better than to have the Conservatives parading about the countryside advocating a high-profile policy which can be demonstrated to be utterly unfeasable! I also have one question about the UUP arrangement. If the new "force" is meant to be "non sectarian", does that mean it will no longer be a unionist party?

[Benjamin]

As a Lib Dem I have to agree that the Tories should start calling for an English Parliament. Nothing would suit me better than to have the Conservatives parading about the countryside advocating a high-profile policy which can be demonstrated to be utterly unfeasable! I also have one question about the UUP arrangement. If the new "force" is meant to be "non sectarian", does that mean it will no longer be a unionist party?

[Ulster Tory]

"If the new "force" is meant to be "non sectarian", does that mean it will no longer be a unionist party?"

If you are so unfortunate for taking your definition of Unionism from the DUP it would be. The Conservatives in NI advocate inclusive Unionism for Unionists, not exclusive Unionism for 'Prods'.

[Dorian the Englandism]

Hi Benjamin,

'a high-profile policy which can be demonstrated to be utterly unfeasable![sic]'

Was that unfizzable? A bit like LibDem victory champagne without the champ bit but a liberal dose of the latter.

Also. When doing rubbish speling use [sic] when replying petulantly.

[Benjamin]

So no actual answer then, Dorian? Righty ho! Thanks for the clarification, Ulster Tory. I wish them luck separating religious and political sectarianism, I genuinely do, but having met numerous people at APNI conference - perhaps the least sectarian event in the Province - who still feel the reflexive urge to tell you whether they're Protestant non-sectarians or Catholic non-sectarians, I fear it may be a little too ingrained in society to be washed away by a declaration and an 8-person joint committee.

[Tory time]

Benjamin:
'I fear it may be a little too ingrained in society to be washed away by a declaration and an 8-person joint committee.'
But not a reason for not trying!
Thankfully Cameron is a Leader and not a follower on opinion polls

[Benjamin]

Tory Time, you really ought to give people warning when you're going to say something THAT hilarious. I swear I actually almost died.

[James Maskell]

Im not a Unionist and this isnt going to bring me to the Party any quicker. If Northern Ireland wishes to be independent then let it be.