mikenesbitt.co.uk

Monday
• Private meeting, NIO
• Spokespeoples’ Meeting
• Assembly Group Meeting
• Barnardo’s briefing on primary school counselling and support
• Question to Enterprise Minister re: broadband provision in rural areas
• Constituency advocacy (planning, and Council issues)
• Private meeting, business leader
• Constituency business
• Reception Assembly and Business Trust
• Constituency Association Meeting

Tuesday
• Assembly and Business Trust Breakfast Briefing (Confucius Institute, linking NI to China)
• Constituency business
• Assembly Group Meeting
• Question to First Minister re: meeting of British Irish Council
• Question to Health Minister re: remote medical services
• Briefing on SeaGen tidal energy experiment, Strangford Lough
• Party Meeting with Trades Union officials re: economy
• Interview Downtown Radio re: abolition of Department of Employment & Learning
• Constituency business

Wednesday
• Facilitator, News Conference for Support After Murder & Manslaughter (SAMM NI)
• TV interviews, BBC NI, UTV, GMTV re: SAMM NI
• Meeting, Sport NI
• Committee of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister
• Event promoting Voice of Young People in Care

Thursday
• Briefing from Ulster Wildlife Trust re: Strangford Lough
• Committee of Enterprise, Trade & Investment
• Written questions to various government ministers
• Private lunch, business spokespeople, re: draft Economic Strategy
• Briefing from OFTEC (heating oil federation)
• Briefing, public sector insurance issues and opportunities
• Meeting of school Board of Governors

Friday
• Constituency office
• Meeting re: NEETS, young people not in employment, education or training
• Launch Scrabo Area at Risk website, Ards Town Hall
• Lunch meeting re: economy – cancelled
• Meeting Willie Frazer, re: victims’ issues
• Constituency advocacy work
• School Open Evening

Saturday
• Site meeting with constituents re: planning
• School Open Day

Sunday
• Guest, BBC NI tv Politics Programme

What a bruising day!
I am Patron of SAMM NI, which is Support After Murder and Manslaughter in Northern Ireland. They commissioned some research from the University of Ulster, into (a) how the media report murders and (b) the relationship between journalists and relatives. This in itself led SAMM NI to make a call for a new Journalists’ Code and a NI Press Ombudsman, and today they had their media launch of the research and the call. They have also forwarded the research and call to the Leveson Inquiry in London.
It has been interesting to watch the media’s reaction.
First, there was the issue of the research being based on “only” ten interviewees. Three points occur. 1. The research is qualitative not quantitative, aimed at an in-depth analysis of how people feel, rather than the percentages who thinks one way or another. The methodology, therefore, is to spend more time with less people. 2. SAMM NI has approximately 90 members, so at around 10%, that’s a pretty robust sample, even for quantitative research (I believe to conduct a NI-wide quantitative survey of our population of 1.8 million, you need only speak to between 1300 and 1400 people – less than 0.1% of the population). 3. If ten relatives of murder victims are unhappy with the way they were treated and reported by the media, surely that merits examination? That said, now that it has been pointed out to me that the report did not explicitly state the number of interviewees was ten, I accept it would have been better to name that number. I am cross with myself for not spotting that, and allowing it to deflect from the focus on the relatives and their feelings.
Second, there is no suggestion the University of Ulster endorses the call for the Code and Ombudsman. SAMM NI is making that call, based on the report.
Third, the media is keen to point out that they often behave impeccable. I agree, but the point is similar to the fact that one bad meal can ruin a restaurant’s reputation: how you handle yourself when things go wrong is critical.
I would add only this; it would be good if today is not an end in itself, because journalists appear unhappy with what SAMM NI are saying about them, and SAMM NI are unhappy with the way their research and call is being reported – a lose, lose.
What would be better, to my mind, would be to allow today to give rise to further discussion on a better way forward. Given these relatives lost loved ones to murder and manslaughter, never asking nor wanting to be in the media spotlight, and have no reason to understand how the media works, further conversations would be useful.

Strangford Ulster Unionist MLA, Mike Nesbitt, has expressed his shock and sadness at the murder of 36 year old Philip Strickland at Ballydrain outside Comber.

“Whatever the explanation for this brutal killing, there can be no excuse. Murder is murder, and all murder is wrong.

“I stood at the police line on the Ballydrain Road early this morning, as the journalists and camera crews arrived, and it took me back to the darkest days of the Troubles, yet here we were, in 2012, on an otherwise sunny morning, surrounded by beautiful scenery and the birds singing in the trees. It was hard to believe we had all gathered to mark a murder.

“It is up to the PSNI to investigate what happened. The rest of us would be better not to speculate, but rather remember this man has a family, friends and neighbours, who will be shocked and in some cases traumatised by what has happened. No one should add to that misery with unnecessary speculation about the whys and wherefores. If you have information, take it to the PSNI.

“I also commend the police service not only for their progress to date, but also for their rapid decision to deploy community officers to the area to knock doors and talk to and reassure residents who will have been deeply unsettled by the news that greeted them this morning.”

Well, a person can take only so much abuse……

I am delighted Royal Portrush is back as a force in world golf; it is great news on so many levels, and a fitting tribute to the successes (multiple) of Northern Ireland’s golfers. But this is where the abuse comes in. The media celebrate Graeme McDowell’s success at Pebble Beach. They laud Rory McIlroy at Congressional. They love what Darren Clarke did at St George’s.

Fine, but what about me?

What about me at the 9th on Krakow Valley in the Oktoberfest Cup? That drive of mine that took me into the record books? The one that shot long and straight down the fairway, still airborne when it passed the Longest Drive marker. Does this count for nothing?

I hit the drive, lifted the marker, pencilled my name in as the man to hit the new longest drive, put the marker down by my ball, and waited for the green to clear.
A man got into a golf buggy at the clubhouse behind the hole, drove down the fairway, lifted the marker, and in perfect Polish-accented English asked: “Who is Mike?”
I threw my arms wide, like Sam Torrence the day he sank the putt to win the 1985 Ryder Cup at the Belfry, and screamed: “Me!!!!”

He nooded sweetly. As I awaited news that I had won a new set of the best golf clubs on Planet Earth, or the golf trip of a lifetime, he explained: “This is the Ladies Longest Drive Competition.” At which point he and the marker disappeared back down the fairway.

So, you see my issue. Has anyone asked me, one of Northern Ireland’s recent International golf champions, what I think about the Irish Open coming to Royal Portrush? No! Was I even invited to the announcement today? No! Will they invite to play in June? They needn’t bother! The Ladies Long Drive Champion of all-Poland is not coming out to play!

The Ulster Unionist Party hosted a Reception today at Stormont for Sergeant Ryan McCready of the Royal Irish. What an impressive man!

Do not confuse Ryan for someone who woke up one day and committed an outstanding act of bravery in Afghanistan, although he did, and that is why he was awarded the accolade of Most Outstanding Soldier award at the Military Awards for British Troops. That itself is why we wanted to honour him today.

I had the privilege of listening to Ryan for a few short minutes talk intelligently and passionately about his work. He had two themes, neither touching the physical violence he is trained to deploy when required, and which not only saved the lives of his colleagues, but leaves him to live the rest of his life with shrapnel in his neck.

Firstly, he spoke of the need to protect and persuade the Afghan people, rather than punish and pressurise them. He and his Royal Irish colleagues encouraged the native Afghanistan population to come to respect the RIR values, not least their professionalism, selfless devotion to public service, and humanity. That alone did more to disarm the Taliban of the area than any old-style military operation.

Ryan’s second theme was how the RIR are not only adapting to deal with the current round of funding cuts from the MoD, but looking ahead to anticipate the future – in terms of finances, but more importantly, as the Army’s leading Regiment in terms of its ability to adapt to offer the new ways of soldiering that will be required as the 21st Century progresses.

I often admire Rory McIlroy as a ambassador for Northern Ireland. In fairness, Rory himself would accept he operates in a comfortable and privileged zone. In reciprocal fairness, he does so brilliantly. Sergeant Ryan McCready could give him a match in the ambassadorial stakes.

I am most grateful for meeting him today, and inspired to do my own job all the better tomorrow.

Ulster Unionist Mike Nesbitt MLA, has highlighted the £18,000 spent by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on external consultants, who were paid to review the work of a second set of consultants.

A Written Question from the Strangford MLA has revealed a total of £93,185 was spent on the consultation exercise following the publication of the draft strategy on Cohesion Sharing and Integration, including two five figure sums on consultants.

Mr Nesbitt said: “The CSI strategy has rightly been described as something that will impact every citizen of Northern Ireland, so I have no difficulty with OFMDFM doing what it can to ensure it seeks as wide a range of views as possible about its intended approach.

“Whatever way you dress up the language, they paid consultants to review consultants. They spent £22,945 on what they are calling “Independent Facilitators” who helped deliver 11 public meetings and 15 events for specific sectoral interest bodies.

“They then paid a further £18,052 on what they describe as “Independent Analysis” and the latter’s report makes clear that their terms of reference included an evaluation of the consultation process undertaken by the original group, and an assessment of how inclusive those meeting were. In other words, OFMDFM paid one group of external experts to comment on the work of another group of external experts.

“It is interesting to note that the total for the original Independent Facilitators is almost exactly double the costs recorded for staging the 26 events. Add in the cost of the second set of consultants and you find that for every pound spend on booking a hall or providing a tea or coffee, another four pounds was spent asking an external expert to analyse answers.

“In the current economic climate, this must be hard to justify. I imagine the electorate will be wondering why there is no in-house expertise in this area.”

Yesterday, my friend and I visited a man we last worked with 32 years ago, as binmen for Ards Borough Council. It was one of the best things I did in 2011. It will also inform what I do in 2012, which should be a year dedicated to building a better, and better connected society.

Monday
• Private constituent meeting
• Spokespeoples’ Meeting
• Assembly Group Meeting
• Ministerial statement to Assembly
• Constituency business
• Draft Economic Strategy research
• Private meeting, business leader
• Constituency business
• Reception Assembly and Business Trust
• Constituency Association Meeting

Tuesday
• Assembly and Business Trust Breakfast Briefing (Office of Fair Trading)
• Constituency business
• Assembly Group Meeting
• Question to Education Minister (Viability Audit)
• Support, Foodbank, Thriving Life Church, Movilla, Newtownards
• Speech, debate on “Pay Day Loans”
News release re: Comptroller & Auditor General’s report into Titanic Building http://tinyurl.com/bm586hb
• Federation of Small Businesses Dinner, Hillsborough Castle

Wednesday
• Constituency work
• Briefing, Irish Football Association
• Spokesperson’s work
• Committee of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (2.00 to 5.30pm)
• News Release re: unemployment figures http://tinyurl.com/7ujckrt
Private meeting, security force victim family
News Release re: Money Advice Service
http://tinyurl.com/ckzlg5k• Reception, Chartered Institute of Public Relations

Thursday
• Breakfast meeting, business leader
• Enterprise Trade & Investment Committee
• Lunch discussion, business leaders
• Constituency Office
• Greyabbey, meeting residents, traders, NI Water

Friday
• Constituency office
• Private meetings

As Stormont is in Recess until the 3rd of January, there will no further weekly diaries in the meantime, as all I could report would be “Private Meetings”. May I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy, Healthy and hopefully Prosperous 2012.

Ulster Unionist Economy spokesperson, Mike Nesbitt, says the latest employment figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency are a spin doctor’s dream. The analysis shows the jobless rate falling from 7.4% to 6.9%, but the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits up by 300.

The Strangford MLA says: “Using multiple measures makes it very easy to keep your glass half full or half empty, but the bottom line is the old adage that if you are unemployed, you are 100% unemployed.

“There are two underlying trends that give great concern. The first is that more than one in three unemployed people have been unemployed for a year or more, and we all know the longer you are unemployed, the less chance that will change.

“The other is the fact that one in five young people between 18 and 24 are not employed, and it is a stark, uncomfortable truth that, unless there is a radical shift in these trends, some may never work. That is the scale of the challenging facing politicians.

“To keep the glass half full, I turn to the latest survey from the Federation of Small Businesses in Northern Ireland. 97% of businesses in Northern Ireland fall into the Small and Medium Sized (SME) Enterprise category, and FSB research suggests if every SME took on just one more employee, it could boost employment by over 40,000, tackling two-thirds of our total unemployment problem.

“I would also call on the Department of Enterprise to study the FSB’s research into apprenticeships. Only 4% of the FSB’s 8,000 members currently offer apprenticeships, but thousands more would consider it, if there were some support, be it a wage subsidy, an upfront incentive payment, or in-kind support with administration and human resource management. With £17 million in DETI’s Jobs Fund, there is huge potential to start delivering on the target of 25,000 in the Draft Economic Strategy published last month.”