I am not convinced Alex Kane, the UUP’s erstwhile media man, did the Party (including me) any favours during the Westminster Election Campaign, but now that Tom Elliott is about to officially launch his Leadership bid, I found this extract from one of Alex’s Newsletter articles interesting, as he compares Tom and Basil McCrea, both of whom he has worked with for longer and in closer detail than I:
I have known Basil for about five years – since he cold-called me shortly before he threw his hat into the Lagan Valley ring for the 2005 general election – and in all that time I have never managed to work out what he believes in or stands for. Yes, he is articulate, but when you strip away the platitude and the charm, there really isn’t much in the way of substance or vision. He clearly wants to be leader: my concern is that he wants it simply as an addition to his CV.
I know what Tom believes in (and he has a far sharper political brain than many in the media give him credit for), even though I don’t always agree with him. I have no idea when it comes to Basil, although I am willing to accept that he could surprise me and rise to the challenge if he did win. But if the UUP is to survive as a mainstream player – and that is something which cannot be taken for granted anymore – then it requires a leader who can deliver leadership, discipline, direction, consistency and relevance.
Leadership must begin with personal conviction and be accompanied by an ability to persuade colleagues that you – rather than someone else – can hold the core vote and attract new votes. For if you cannot convince your party then it is unlikely you can convince others. And leadership isn’t about mere management, chairmanship or – worst of all – being a ‘safe pair of hands’: it’s about total control of every area and aspect of the party.
Discipline goes hand in hand with effective leadership. The UUP has a long history of being reluctant to deal with those who break rules and plough their own furrows. It likes to pretend that it is a democratic party which doesn’t want to stifle debate, but that’s a very far cry from actually telling members what is and isn’t permissible. The next leader will have to use the powers available to him (and they are actually fairly draconian) and make it quickly and brutally clear that he will not tolerate solo runs or public attacks
Obviously, Alex Kane is leaving us more confused than ever! Alex damns Basil with faint praise, to the extent that one cannot help wondering what Basil did to him in the past! However, we can certainly do without a Leader who only wants to improve his CV, or one without substance for that matter. A straw man, in other words. Alex obviously prefers Tom Elliott at the moment, and thinks that he will be the better Leader of the two. Not knowing Alex, per se, I find it difficult to acknowledge that he is the fount of all knowledge either. So, he could easily be wrong in both cases. I am firmly of the belief that we need a few more people to stand as Leader, so that the ideal personality can be chosen.
I am even more convinced that you, Mike, should be prepared to stand for election.
Gentlemen,
I suspect it is turning into a `beauty contest’ again about personality and nothing much of substance about policy! Basil or Tom ? Is that the only question here ? Has the great party of Carson and Craigavon sunk to this ? I warn again, unless these people start to address policy matters head on (security/policing and the terrorist threat, the relationship between NI and the rest of the UK, the issue of unionist unity and how the party is different from the DUP (if in policy terms it is and why that matters), the issue of the tory link up and the lessons learned (or not), the economy/role of the public sector, how to react to coalition agenda of cuts at Westminster) it will not matter who wins it, the UUP shall be set to continue its demise, split unionism further and hand McGuninness the keys to the First Ministers office next May in the process.
Alex.
Good evening Alex,
As always, thanks for your post. I thought I would respond because in fairness, Tom is not interested in a “beauty contest” but is keen to share his Vision for NI and the UUP, his Values, Policies and Strategies, and will begin to do so this Wednesday, when he builds on his previously started intention to run for Leader by actually launching a Campaign.
Please stand by for what I believe will be the compelling arguments that will enable you to take a more positive attitude to his Leadership bid (remembering, of course, he is the only member to declare an intention to run).
Mike,
Thanks for your response – much appreciated.
I note your comments and I suspect Tom may be slightly better than Basil
(at least on the Martin McGuinness first minister issue) but I can not help
getting the feeling both candidates are looking at a career move for their
CV ? Am I being unfair ?
Do either of them honestly give the same idealism and political passion that we got from Carson or Craigavon or are we to be satisfied with a policy void, management speak and who looks better on TV ?
By the way – most of my criticism on this leadership contest can be equally
applied to the Labour Party contest – again policy is very much in second place!
Just a few more thoughts……
take care
Alex.
So another of the old guard backs Tom “steady as she goes” Elliott.
Quelle surprise.
Cui Bono?
I also think you’re rather passing over the line:
“I have no idea when it comes to Basil, although I am willing to accept that he could surprise me and rise to the challenge if he did win.”
Is Alex Kane old guard, or ex-guard, UncleLarry? I understand he has left the Party.
And I am not passing over anything, I’m just reproducing something from someone whose views should be of interest, but not necessarily of influence.
Hi UncleLarry,
I am not backing Tom Elliott for the leadership. My column of a few weeks ago merely pointed out that I did have a better understanding of where Tom stood on key issues rather than Basil. And I also noted that Tom is much sharper than he is given credit for. I noted, too, that Basil could surprise me and rise to the challenge.
I don’t think either candidate can tackle the problems facing the party–an argument I will be making in more detail in tomorrow’s Belfast Telegraph.
I wish there was a ‘bolt from the blue’ third choice, but that now seems unlikely.
As Mike says, I am no longer a member of the UUP (which I left at the end of January). I hope that what I write may still be of interest, but I have never claimed that it has any particular influence in any quarter!
Regards,
Alex.
Alex. Kane
As a lifelong UUP voter i am saddened by the type of the politics the ulster unionist party appears to be constantly engaged in. Here we have another prime example of the bickering and mud slinging between members of the same party that has caused the voting public to totaly lose faith in us as a party of goverment. A leadership contest is the completly wrong time to negatively attack a fellow member of your own party as posting this article has done. It comes across as petty and childish.
Scott.
Hi Scott,
Very interesting observations on the UUP contest. Again, I ask the question, is the problem that there is so little between the candidates that they have to sling mud to be heard ?
Alex.
Gentlemen,
It fills me with dismay when I see the sorts of argument going on here. Old Guard policies simply will not work. The New Leader will have to make sure there is no Orange Order influence for a start. He should not be a member himself in any shape or form. The new UUP will have to be totally non-sectarian and moderate, with a very strong Unionist bond with Westminster. Be that the bond is via a link with the Tories, so be it. It is most important that we do have this link, if only due to the high risk re-appearance of Republican terrorists. It is vital that the silent majority, the Middle and Working classes, be awakened sufficiently to vote UUP! They will not do that until a strong Leader is appointed. I do not see so much strength in the present selection. Sadly, I see the UK being heavily influenced by the Republican attacks, and the UK is so tired of the Northern Irish problem that it will take very little to persuade them to hand us over to the Republic!
Harry,
I hope you are well. I enjoyed your thought provoking contribution, as always.
Writing (as I do most of the time) from mainland UK, I can share your prediction about what tends to influence the English population (and I speak as one of them myself).
Your point about the tories is interesting. One of the problems for unionism at the moment is that there is very little left of centre voice within the unionist fold. The PUP is trying but its past (and to some extent present) links hamper development of this strand.
If the UUP is to be a pluralist and inclusive party attractive to what they used to call the respectable working class, how would a link with the Tory Party help ? Do the Tories really understand Northern Ireland ? With the exception of Balfour and Bonar Law, the scorecard is at best doubtful.
Your point about the Orange Order is interesting. In terms of voting, do the loyal orders have that much influence then ? (I have generally found their influence to be positive and beneficial. They have a right to free expression and on the whole do not harm anyone else).
I agree with your point about the silent voters. The number of voters lost to the unionist cause over the last 25 years is frightening. It is a development in which republican forces take great comfort.
A few thoughts……
Alex.
Hi Alex,
First of all, I hope you do not mind me posting; I sometimes feel I should shut up, listen and learn from you and Harry.
But the argument about lost votes fascinates me. You mention the last 25 years. I am just back from a UUPmeeting in Belfast where the figure was 114,000 votes lost in the last 9 years.
One theory worthy of consideration is that the UUP were so successful in negotiating the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement in 1998, that vast numbers of unionists no longer feel the need to vote. The Union is safe, and that is the only issue that used to motivate them to visit the polling station.
So, while I agree the UUP needs to address the missing voters, they should do so from a position of strength. The Good Friday Agreement was about beginning to create a truly Shared Future. We started it. Only the UUP can finish the job. The failures of the intervening years prove the point.
Best wishes
M
Hello Alex, I hope you are well. First an apology! I may have been a bit hard on you earlier in this post. I had no idea you are who you are!! Sorry about that. I was very slow!! My argument in favour of having the link with the Tory party is simply one of self-defence in the event of a serious terrorist problem and the onset of the usual very clever Republican arguments to persuade Westminster to enforce a United Ireland. The great danger of being in government with terrorist republicans is that they will do all they can to subvert democracy, using fear tactics, manipulation and even bombing the UK! Ties with the Tories would be very helpful there. It would be up to us to educate the Tories about Northern Irish history! In the end, it would give us all a degree of self confidence about our security if nothing else. You are right, generally speaking, in what you say about the Orange Order. However, IMV, the New Unionist Party just has to be totally non-sectarian. If they are to get back in to politics as a moderate party, they do have to look for all votes. There are plenty of Catholics who would vote Unionist given half a chance, but not if the OO is involved! Also, the UUP would have to go for all the minority voters, even the Gay vote! The Republicans after all do all that as well. I am not saying that the OO should be exorcised from the UUP altogether, just that it should be on the back-burner, so they cannot offend!
Hi Mike,
Good to hear from you! (I wish you and Linda would get back on UTV – not the same these days!).
I think you are right about the lost votes. The figure you quote provides a lesson which we could all learn from.
If you look at voters in constituencies on the eastern seaboard such as North Down (and indeed Strangford) you will see that voting turnout figures are often dreadful. There tends to be an amount of apathy on the basis that the union is considered to be secure. This trend may well have been exacerbated by the stability that has been delivered by the Belfast Agreement. Voting figures west of the Bann tend to be much higher, because the threat to the union is considered (right or wrong) to be greater.
Your point about only the UUP being able to finish the job is interesting.
The party played an enormous role in delivering the peace (and often paid the political and electoral price without getting the recognition) but now it has to show how it can take on the new governing role. The DUP seem to have managed the transformation from opposition to government very well, can the UUP somehow define a new role for itself now that the `heavy lifting’ has been done ?
take care
Alex