Jeff Peel's Diary

Here's hoping that McNarry types don't apply. Wishful thinking perchance?

Maybe there was a reason for the Conservatives and UUP to pick one of the quietest news weeks of the year to make this announcement re. Westminster candidate selection. 

Co-signed by the ever-dour David Campbell (Chairman of the UUP) and Tim Lewis, Chairman of the Conservatives in NI, there is nothing new in here.  Although some UUPers might find it surprising that they no longer have ultimate control over candidate selection.  From my point of view, of course, that’s a relief given the quality standard achieved in elections of old. 

My only hope is that the Orange McNarry types don’t apply.  But perhaps that’s wishful thinking. 

Joint Statement by the Chairman of the Northern Ireland Conservatives and the Chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party…

The European elections on the 4th of June were a tremendous success for the Conservatives and Unionists. People voted for change right across the United Kingdom and, by re-electing Jim Nicholson as one of the three MEPs from Northern Ireland, there are now 26 Conservatives and Unionists representing the UK- one of the strongest national delegations in Brussels.

This success was due to clear policies and unity of purpose during the campaign and to the hard work of our members working together on the ground.

From organising highly successful visits for Jim and his colleagues in the UUP and the Conservative Shadow Cabinet to ensuring that we had unrivalled coverage in the local papers during the campaign, we, as a coherent and united team, set down the marker for the General Election campaign to come.

Since the election, the Conservative and Ulster Unionist Joint Committee has been working on a process by which joint candidates will be selected to fight the campaign, almost certainly to be in the spring of next year. The process for selection is one in which the memberships and constituency associations of both parties will play a key part.

In accordance with the agreement reached between both parties, selections will run on a twin-track process. Both the Conservative Party and the Ulster Unionist Party will embark on procedures, in accordance with their own rules of selection, which will result in all Conservative and Ulster Unionist associations presenting a shortlist of one candidate each for consideration.

The shortlist of candidates will be subject to the agreement of both Party Leaders. All successful candidates at this stage will be considered by the Joint Committee, which will determine the final list of the preferred candidates. Special meetings of the Ulster Unionist Executive and the Northern Ireland Conservative Area Council will then ratify all candidates.

We must all work extremely hard to ensure that each candidate has the best opportunity possible to be elected come polling day. Those candidates who are successfully elected will, as David Cameron has said, take the Conservative whip with the full rights and responsibilities of any other Conservative MP. If the Conservatives win the next General Election, they will be eligible to become members of the Government itself.

Bringing Northern Ireland into the mainstream of national and international politics has been one of the key goals of this joint project to date. We must now push on from the success of the European campaign to ensure that this goal is reached. For the first time in generations people in Northern Ireland will be given the opportunity to vote for candidates drawn from both parties who will play a full role in determining their next national government.

We look forward to continuing this exciting project as we build up to the General Election and the chance for the people of Northern Ireland to really vote for positive change.

Tim Lewis, Chairman, Northern Ireland Conservatives
David Campbell, Chairman, Ulster Unionist Party