New Officers Elected for 2009 – 2010

At the Association’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 4th March the following members were successfully elected to serve as officers for 2009 – 2010.
Chairman – Jonathan Clarke
Deputy Chairman – Kirsty Bell
Secretary – Ben Mallon
Chief Whip – Stephen McIlveen LL.B
Events Secretary – James Mills
Treasurer – Mark Wallace
Press Officer – Stephen Dunne
Chaplain – Ray Carscadden
Honorary life membership was also bestowed on Thomas Hogg, Mark Dodds LL.B and Ian Gow BA.

DUP Association Formed at University of Ulster

The DUP continues to grow with the formation of a new University Association at the University of Ulster. We would like to congratulate colleagues at the University on reaching this important milestone in the growth of the Party. The formation of the Branch reflects the increasing interest in the DUP at the University and comes as a result of a number of defections from the virtually dormant Ulster Unionist branch. For too long the University of Ulster has lacked an effective voice for unionist students and we are pleased that this new Association can fill that void.

The Assocation has launched a website which can be found at: http://www.ulsterdup.org/

Diane Dodds Visits Queen’s

DUP European election candidate Diane Dodds paid a visit to the Re-Fresher’s Bazaar at Queen’s today (Wednesday 11th February). Diane was present at the DUA stall for most of the afternoon, helping to recruit new members to the Association and engaging with students. She also visited many of the various stalls at the bazaar, listening to student concerns and raising awareness of the 4th June poll.

Diane pictured with members at the DUA Re-Fresher’s Bazaar stall:

DUP Leader Congratulates Diane Dodds

DUP Leader Rt. Hon. Peter Robinson MP MLA said,

“I want to congratulate Diane on being selected by the Party’s Executive to contest the forthcoming European election.

Diane has a proven track record in elections. Not only has she the highest first preference vote of any Councillor in Northern Ireland but in 2003 she stole a seat from Sinn Fein to become the first unionist elected by the West Belfast constituency in over 20 years. Diane won that seat by 87 votes. This too will be a closely contested battle between the DUP and Sinn Fein. I am confident that Diane will be successful in this challenge but every vote will count.”

The DUP’s European Candidate Cllr Diane Dodds said,

“This will be a battle unlike any before. As a party dedicated to the Union we must ensure that the voice of Ulster is a Unionist one – let us not be side tracked – the top priority for us all at this election must be to stop Sinn Fein topping the poll. The only Party that can give Unionism the victory is the DUP. A poll topping performance by Bairbre de Brun would add impetus to Sinn Fein’s long-term aim of destroying the Union.
Just imagine how Sinn Fein would milk the press coverage of a poll topping performance. Those who live in the West of the Province will remember the gloating over the so called “greening of the West” and as a Councillor in West Belfast I know the reality of people’s lives under the heel of Sinn Fein. We must not be distracted – at all times our priority must be the defeat of Sinn Fein. In achieving this we will demonstrate to Europe and the wider world that Unionism in Northern Ireland under the leadership of the DUP is strong, vibrant and victorious.

The DUP is winning the battle in Government. It is now Republicans who are on the back foot. Look at the record – we have binned the Irish Language Act and have delivered on our pledge to preserve academic selection. We will ensure that there is no Sinn Fein Minister of Justice and Policing. PPS 21 delivered by the DUP minister for the Environment will allow rural dwellers to continue to live within their communities. We continue to work with the Loyal Orders and have delivered direct financial benefits in respect of Orange Halls.
It is the DUP which is setting the agenda and driving Northern Ireland forward. This is our record and this will be my message to electorate.
Just as at home we must work to shape the agenda in Europe. Our farmers, our business community and our fishermen need a strong voice in Europe. They need a strong voice linked into a strong party. I will ensure that the people of Northern Ireland have a strong and coordinated advocate at Brussels, Westminster and Stormont.
My record in elections speaks for itself. Winning the first seat for unionism for 20 years in West Belfast sent a message of hope to unionists everywhere. And the loss of that seat – despite increasing the unionist vote – has only served to sharpen my determination to deliver another defeat to Sinn Fein in June. I’ve shown I’m up for a challenge no matter how difficult.”

Latest demonstration of DUP’s record in Devolution

DUP MLA for Fermanagh & South Tyrone and the Party’s Chief Whip in the Assembly Lord Morrow of Clogher Valley has said that the voting record of Assembly Members is yet another demonstration of the DUP’s record in devolution. The figures come after the publication of other data which showed that the attendance of DUP members at Committee meetings far exceeded that of other parties. Commenting on the figures Lord Morrow said,
“There are several different aspects to the work of an Assembly Member and all of these roles are important. Obviously however, the role of a Member of the Legislative Assembly must include the scrutiny of legislation as it goes through the relevant committees and on the floor of the Assembly. Figures published last week showed that the attendance of DUP Members at Committee meetings far exceeded those of the other parties.

It is not surprising therefore that DUP members also lead the way in terms of their voting record within the Assembly. Of the 20 Assembly Members with the best voting records, 15 of these are from the DUP. On the other hand, of the bottom 20 Assembly Members 7 of the UUP’s 18 MLAs are included within this group.

Questions must surely be asked of someone like David Burnside, who does not even sit on an Assembly Committee and holds no Ministerial office, yet can only find the time to participate in less than one quarter of the votes within the Assembly. Time and time again we have witnessed the failures of the UUP whips to muster more than a handful of their members to either participate in a debate or in a vote. This appears to be the level of representation given by the Ulster Unionist Party. Because of this kind of lax attitude to participation within the Assembly there is no doubt that the unionism suffers and the full voice of unionism is not heard. We may have thought that the era of half-hearted UUP representation was over, but it appears to be alive and well.

The DUP is committed to giving the people the best possible representation at all levels. While some other parties appear not to be able to find the time to actually participate in the activities they were elected to carry out, the DUP will continue to ensure that we will work within the devolved structures to deliver the best possible outcomes for the people of Northern Ireland.”

DUP Leader meets Secretary of State over Eames-Bradley

DUP Leader Rt. Hon. Peter Robinson MP MLA has told the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland that compensation proposals contained in the Eames Bradley Report which make no distinction between the terrorist and the terrorised are fomenting division in the community and hurt among victims and should be disregarded by the Government. Commenting after an hour long meeting with Shaun Woodward the East Belfast MP said,
“This was a very useful meeting where I was able to convey the strong opposition to proposals which make no distinction between the terrorist and those people who they terrorised.
The Eames Bradley Report, though not yet published, is irreparably damaged as a result of this offensive payment proposal which would view those such as the Shankill bombers in the same light as their innocent victims. Such a suggestion is grossly offensive. There can be no equivalence between those who went out with the clear intention of murdering and those men and women who were slaughtered as they went about their daily business.
The manner in which the consultative group allowed information to be selectively published has also damaged and undermined the totality of its work. The issue of victims and dealing with the past is contentious and must be dealt with in a sensitive and sensible way. However, the Group’s one-size-fits-all approach totally disregards these sensitivities.
It is abundantly clear that the Eames Bradley report has failed to garner the consensus on dealing with the past which it originally set out to achieve. The Secretary of State is now fully aware that the Democratic Unionist Party does not consider such an outcome as set out in the Eames Bradley group as offering any basis for dealing with the Troubles from which we have emerged. Their approach not only blurs the line between victims and perpetrators but also ignores the tens of thousands who were seriously injured.
The Report is also replete with a duplication of functions and roles which overlap, in many instances, with matters already within the purview of, and best left to, the Victims Commissioners.”

Deputy Leader outlines priorities for the Loyal Orders

North Belfast DUP MP Nigel Dodds has re-iterated the DUP’s continued commitment to using devolution to advance the interests of the Loyal Orders. In a key-note address to party members in his constituency, Mr. Dodds outlined the areas where progress had been made using devolution and detailed future key priorities for the party. During the course of his remarks, the DUP Deputy Leader said:

“During the direct rule regime our Loyal Orders were sidelined and ignored whilst the cultural traditions of our community were subjected to systematic discrimination in terms of funding and support from government. Using devolution, the DUP has worked to end that situation and we can be proud of what we have achieved through working together with our friends in the Loyal Orders.
We have delivered the de-rating of halls throughout Northern Ireland. Our strenuous efforts saw the introduction of new compensation arrangements and we removed plans from central government to place a time limit on the changes to the law. We have reformed the Community Festivals Fund to ensure more access to funding for events such as The Twelfth. The Strategic Review of Parading should ensure the demise of the hated Parades Commission and we have increased by £1million the level of funding going to the Ulster-Scots sector.

Not one of these positive benefits would have been accrued under direct rule. People know that direct rule was bad for our community and bad for the protection and promotion of our culture and heritage. There are a range of issues that we will be striving to achieve further progress on.
Some of the issues that we will be taking forward in 2009 include:

Increasing capacity within the Protestant community

Supporting the efforts of the Orange Institution to expand their range of educational facilities and programmes

Helping isolated border Protestant communities

Increasing official recognition of the Loyal Orders to ensure that they are included in all statutory and governmental consultation exercises – in keeping with their status as a key stake-holder within our community.

The DUP will continue to fight against the erosion of our British identity and will battle to ensure that any attempt to dilute our British way of life is defeated. In pursuing these important goals we look forward to the continued co-operation and support of our friends in the Loyal Orders. Through working together we can build on the good work started and ensure that the Loyal Orders are afforded the recognition and support they deserve.”