Wright to head UUP review

Terence Wright, who is the local party chairman and Deputy leader of the UUP, said he will also address issues like unionist unity and the party's link with the Tories.

On Saturday 15th May 2010 at a meeting of the Executive of the Ulster Unionist Party, party leader Sir Reg Empey announced his intention to stand down as leader of the UUP in the autumn. In addition to saying that Peter Robinson leader of the DUP should also make way for a new leadership of Unionism to emerge, he announced a review and analysis of the UUP's disappointing results in the recent General Election when it failed to win a seat at Westminster. This is to be led by Mr Wright

Speaking exclusively to the Londonderry Sentinel, Mr Wright said that it was hoped to complete what he described as a wide-ranging, open and transparent review within six to eight weeks.

''There are a number of vital issues pertaining to our strategy and presentation of policy which we need to address as a matter of urgency and the findings, based on the views of party members and individuals outside the party with whom I intend to consult will inform our preparation for the Assembly elections of 2011' said Mr Wright

'There is no doubt that the result of the General Election was a disappointment. However it is one from which we can recover. It is important not to have a knee-jerk reaction and take the time for a measured and reasoned analysis of our performance. The decision of Sir Reg and the timetable which he has outlined gives us time to do this.

"Much of what I will be addressing will relate to internal party matters, however I will also want to draw on the local experiences and views of members at constituency level. I intend to talk to and consult as many people as possible so that the outcome is informed by and based on the contributions of groups of members and individuals.

"It is important that they give their views on the UUP-Conservative Electoral link which many media commentators have been quick to judge a political failure. There is also the question of 'unionist unity' which has been highlighted by the unionist community as an issue they want the unionist parties to address."

He said that, "in the light of the possible consequences of the DUPs ill-considered agreement at St Andrews where they agreed to conditions wherein Sinn Fein could hold the position of First Minister", this is an issue which must be taken on board.

But Mr Wright added: "However, there is no magic formula. Whilst the DUP speak of unionist unity, they continue to attack and malign the UUP at every opportunity. At some declarations during the recent elections, this degenerated into verbal abuse of UUP candidates.

"The recent call of Ian Paisley, the new MP for North Antrim, for the parties to act in coalition to protect the block-grant for Northern Ireland shows how easily they collude with their erstwhile political enemies. They talk of moving Northern Ireland forward but politically, as recently demonstrated by their cave-in to Sinn Fein at Hillsborough over Policing and Justice, they are merely walking in a decreasing circle as Sinn Fein gains more and more ground.

"Their stance on the economic difficulties faced by the country brings danger.

"As the people in England become more aware of the extent to which they fund the regions the logical outcome of the handout and selfish regional unionism of the DUP is the break-up of the Union. Of course, the economic recovery of Northern Ireland as it emerges from decades of violence is fragile but addressing waste and efficiency set alongside special measures for the country as defined by the joint UUP-Conservative Manifesto is a sensible and defensible way forward and sits in marked contrast to the stance of a DUP wanting a hung-parliament which they hoped to hold to ransom whilst the rest of the country tightens its belt.

"But at the end of the day, in contrast to the UUP, they have been successful in winning seats at Westminster and if they continue to voice their policies, they will undermine that which they purport to cherish. The UUP has then no choice other than to engage in constructive communication and seek to persuade them otherwise and party members will be asked, in analysing, our election disappointment, to address how best we can do this without compromising our values and principles. Engagement cannot be based on sectarian communalism for no matter how much it colludes to achieve and retain power such unity will only serve to embed the seeds of its own inevitable failure."

At present Mr Wright is still working, with the advice of other party members, to finalise the process for the collection of views from within the party, and is being assisted by two other party officers, Philip Smith and Mark Ovens.

He concluded: "The Review when complete will be the product of the collective thinking of party members. As data increases full-time party workers based at party Headquarters and Stormont will help me collate and interpret the feedback for presentation to the party leader and the party.

"It is hoped that the outcome of the review will prove valuable to the new leader and those candidates who by the autumn will be in place to contest elections for the Assembly and local councils."