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Hermon: why she rejected Tory deal
Thursday, 14 May 2009
enlargeThe Ulster Unionist Party has been thrown into turmoil after its only MP rejected the party’s new allegiance with the Conservatives by declaring she would not stand under its banner at the General Election.
Lady Sylvia Hermon confirmed suspicions that she was deeply unhappy with Sir Reg Empey’s decision to throw his hat in with the Tories to create the Ulster Conservative and Unionist New Force by admitting she was disappointed with the deal that was done last year.
Sir Reg has responded by expressing his annoyance that Lady Sylvia is questioning party policy in the middle of an election campaign.
Today the Belfast Telegraph can reveal many of the reasons why the North Down MP felt she could not support her party’s alliance with the Tories.
This paper understands Lady Hermon feels she was excluded from all discussions about the possibility of a link up between the parties, despite being their only Westminster politician.
She was left to discover the dramatic changes in a shop where she spotted the newspaper headlines.
Since then she has been hauled in for meetings with Tory heavy-hitters including Ken Clarke, as well as for talks with David Cameron, flanked by the party’s Northern Ireland spokesman Owen Paterson, and Andrew MacKay, a former shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who is now one of the leader’s advisers.
It is understood that a feeling the Conservatives have little understanding of Ulster politics, compounded by discussions with one senior Tory who repeatedly referred to “Irish MPs” and Mr Cameron’s decision to wear a green tie to a unionist event, has not lessened over time.
Lady Hermon is also known for her regular support for the Labour government in Commons votes.
She said: “At the present time, I can’t see myself standing under a Conservative banner,” adding that she was elected as an Ulster Unionist.
“If my party chooses to move to call themselves by a different name, I’m terribly sorry and terribly disappointed by that but I remain an Ulster Unionist.
“That was certainly my mandate and I’ve loved serving the people of North Down.
“They have stood by me through the most difficult of times and if they choose and wish me to serve them I would do my very best to do that.”
The changes to the party came at a time of personal tragedy for Lady Hermon who was caring for her husband Jack, the former chief constable of the RUC, as he battled Alzheimer’s disease. She was left devastated when he died last November.
The Conservatives declined to comment last night as the decision was “not official”. The move has, however, been widely anticipated for some time and party sources insist they are “relaxed” about it.
But Sir Reg Empey said: “The leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party is disappointed that Lady Hermon, in the middle of an election campaign, has chosen to give a series of interviews in which she has challenged party policy and the collective decisions taken by her colleagues.
“Throughout last year and into 2009, we held many discussions at party executive level, held roadshows for our members on numerous occasions and ultimately put proposals for a Memorandum of Understanding to our executive for approval.
“This very democratic process resulted in two separate meetings of our executive where the relevant decisions were taken on unanimous recommendations from our party officers. At these well-attended meetings not a single vote was cast against the proposals.
“At both of these meetings, our North Down constituency was fully represented by all its delegates who unanimously voted in favour of the proposals,” he said.
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Comments
26 Comments
Given her past loyalty to party despite unhappiness with several leadership decisions, it is a courageous step for Lady Hermon to take & I applaud her for it.Her record is excellent & she is popular with her constituents on the basis of simple hard work so I don't think going Independent will harm her re-election chances, should she defend her seat. She has stuck with an often thankless job in the face of party misogyny so it's not hard to see why her constituents are her no.1 priority.U go girl
Posted by catriona | 04.06.09, 20:06 GMT
Dont think Lady H has much in common with UUP apart from being over 60 like the rest of her party and their respective voters.
Even if she stands as an Independent and is elected her influence will be like a
drop of water in the Thames.
Sounds like UUP will have zero MPs after next election at least that will save on their expenses.
Posted by Mary | 14.05.09, 22:27 GMT
Hermon has used this issue to detract from the fact she has been embarrassed about her expenses. She is on record as admiring Tony Blair, the man who has brought this country to its knees and sent many of our soldiers to their deaths in his wars. Thousands of others have been maimed for life. He has destryed the moral compass of this country and our MP thinks he is great. She is a political lightweight, almost invisible and she needs to be dumped by the UUP. She should stand as a socialist.
Posted by Ken | 14.05.09, 21:35 GMT
Most of the comments above are by people who are not following politics properly at all. They can say "Tories dont understand Ulster politics" The truth is that most of them are blinkered, traditional and lacking any vision for a better society.
I suspect there are a silent but much more knowledgeable lot who keep their mouths shut and their votes secret. You wont see many of them writing in comments.
As for Lady Hermon. In the name of God go!
Posted by Jack Elton | 14.05.09, 20:50 GMT
Well done Lady Syliva dont lose your principles. Reg your on your way out you forgot what Northern Ireland is about. Reg Rember D Trimble ? because few of use do.
Posted by Terry | 14.05.09, 17:48 GMT
MiHE - "Cameron is a politician, he will not and should not give a stuff about the colour green vs orange! "
Flags, emblems and symbols are, unfortunately, of great moment to those living in an ethnically divided country. This is not the first time that Cameron has displayed a lack of sensitivity and knowledge about NI. When visiting an integrated school some years ago, he asked to photographed with one Catholic and one Protestant pupil. How crass is that?
Posted by Angie | 14.05.09, 17:24 GMT
its about time people in northern ireland had a say in uk wide politics these small local parties are a wast of time. it seems lady h does not understand this
Posted by john | 14.05.09, 16:51 GMT
How much longer can the old male dinosaurs of the uup survive? Don't they know what happened to the previous dinosaurs? Rebranding yourself as a new dinosaur won't cut it. Lady Sylvia is the best MP we've had in this neck of the woods. Who needs Reggie Perrin and his other sidekick whingers? Come to think of it, who needs the Con party? For years, they didn't want us. She should stand as an independent.
Posted by Jazzlyn | 14.05.09, 16:37 GMT
I remember visiting London in the 1960s and reading the sign outside the Tory Headquarters
"Conservative and Unionist Party Sir Reg is just grasping at straws by linking up with them again and the DUP will be the ones to gain.
Ulster Unionists only liked women to make tea and run Fundraising Sales
Posted by Been there ,Dun that | 14.05.09, 16:24 GMT
Sounds like Lady H would be better off leaving the UUP at this stage. The old boys seem to have made a grave miscalculation in proceeding without her on this. Funny things is, they probably assumed without really thinking about it, that a woman wouldn't matter, even their only remaining representative in the British Parliament! I think that says a lot about how arrogant/ignorant or both they must be.
Posted by Ciaran | 14.05.09, 15:27 GMT
it is now time for Basil McCrea to step forward and run for the leadership of the UUP. We need him now. We need him badly.
Posted by The Blether | 14.05.09, 15:10 GMT
this lady has some integrity unlike the rest of the politicans.
Posted by chris | 14.05.09, 15:08 GMT
The fact is that the tories know nothing about Ulster and care even less. The times they have stood before they have done pretty poorly even in North Down. If they couldn't win in North Down, they dont have much of a chance anywhere else!
I am glad that the issue of the Anglo Irish Agreement has been raised. That was the Thatcher legacy for Ulster! I note that Sir Reg has had nothing at all to say on that - like on other issues, there is a deafening silence from that particular quarter!
Posted by Alex | 14.05.09, 15:07 GMT
Who in their right mind would have Reg Empey as a leader?
Posted by robbo | 14.05.09, 13:34 GMT
As a voter in North Down, I say well done to Lady Hermon.
Sir Reg Empey has been rolled over by the Tories at Westminster. It is clear that Cameron wanted to be able to say he was fielding candidates in all UK seats, the return for the Ulster Unionists has been next to nothing. The only `prize' they get will be to split the unionist vote and hand seats to SF if Cameron/Empey carry out their threat to stand in all 18 Westminster seats across the province!
Posted by Alex | 14.05.09, 13:20 GMT
Poor Reg Empey, he's unhappy with Lady Hermon. Well, that's too bad and one rotten.
I bet she was really impressed with Sir Reg and Owen Patterson, who made some of the most condescending and patronising comments about her, at their press conference on 28th February 2009.
I think he got off pretty lightly.
Posted by Disenfranchised | 14.05.09, 13:09 GMT
Time for Empey to go. The UUP is a rudderless ship.
Posted by Grace A | 14.05.09, 12:54 GMT
Lady Sylvia is a hard working, dedicated MP. Her views should be listened to and respected. She is a lady, not only in title, but in character too. I fully support her for her hard work for North Down.
Posted by Centaur | 14.05.09, 12:27 GMT
Fair play to Hermon! Especially as she wasn't even consulted about it, despite being the party's only Westminster MP.
Posted by Laura | 14.05.09, 11:08 GMT
Lady Hermon would get my vote as an independant, we need political input from people here on the ground who have a personal insight in NI politics. The Tories are far removed from the workings that are needed to move this country forward.
Posted by Kerry | 14.05.09, 10:53 GMT
26 Comments