Gail Walker: So, why did Mr Parsley take sharp right turn?
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
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Perhaps more than most places we in Northen Ireland don't like turncoats.
In some ways, it is a deplorable trait, displaying the most stubborn, blinkered and vengeful aspects of our character.
But let's not make an exception for Ian Parsley, formerly of the Alliance Party, as of now of the Conservative Party and who-knows-what in the future.
Parsley had been Alliance's standard bearer at the last Euro election. Remember all that 'Hope is the thing, hate isn't' on his posters? You'd think he thought that it was really important that we supported Alliance. You know, for your future, my future, the children's future, the cat's future.
Turns out the posters should have said: 'Conservatives are the thing, Alliance isn't'.
Since performing well at the Euro poll, Parsley has got himself a job with a Tory think-tank. Though due to start this week, even last Friday Parsley was still denying he was leaving the Alliance. But he admitted he'd be spending the weekend considering if the job was compatible with membership of the party - which some would consider rather late to be setting upon a 'dark weekend of the soul'.
The denial was doubly curious because, even as he was blogging his statement, the BBC was reporting it had seen an email from the Tories which suggested he'd been formally assessed as a potential candidate for the Ulster Unionist-Conservative pact.
Result? Hours later, Parsley had resigned from the Alliance and was dribbling away like the NuTory he now officially is: "The best means of delivering a shared future and a genuinely new type of politics would be through David Cameron's Conservative Party."
Parsley also said that he'd be staying on as a councillor in North Down but would probably be changing his designation. In a suave soundbite out of the Cameron handbook, he said he was mindful he'd been elected by Alliance voters and would work closely with the party. Thanks, Ian. If Parsley was that mindful, he'd resign and fight a by-election. Those Alliance voters wanted an Alliance man, what they've got now is a Tory.
Sorry, Ian, that may work in the dreamy shires, but in plain-speaking Ulster it all seems, well, a bit self-serving.
In June you were saying Alliance was best and attacking the old 'sectarian' parties - the DUP, Sinn Fein, TUV, SDLP and, er, Ulster Conservatives & Unionists: New Force.
You told voters that Alliance was the most pro-Europe party here, now you're in the most Eurosceptic party, short of UKIP and the BNP.
What has changed in those 12 weeks?
Speculation is mounting that Parsley - a bit like Jeff Goldblum in The Fly - is painfully metamorphosing into a UCUNF candidate for North Down at the next general election. Which is interesting because the current MP there is Sylvia Hermon, the UUP's sole MP and a bitter opponent of Sir Reg and Dave's cosying up to each other. She has indicated she won't stand under the UUP-Tory banner.
Is Ian being lined up to stand if Lady Hermon steps down or is 'pushed' off the UUP ticket?
All very intriguing. Anyone can have a crisis of conscience and realise they're in the wrong party, but these shenanigans do leave a bad taste.
It's only the do-goody Alliance Party, but Parsley owes them more than they owe him. Party workers toiled to make him a 'rising star' of politics.
And, let's face it, there's been no great issue of principle or policy at stake here. It's not the Alliance Party who has changed - it's Ian Parsley. That's why Parsley should resign and fight a by-election, making clear his final destination. He serves the people - not the other way round.
Is he going to remain a Tory pure and simple and not seek election here? Or will he sign up to Sir Reg and Dave's colours and fight North Down as a Tory in alliance (no pun intended) with the UUP? For now, it's 'we'll wait and see'. Yes Ian, we will wait and we see ...
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The Ulster Tories do seem to attract self-effacing men of Iron Principle. I wonder how Ian will get on with Jeff Peel?
Posted by Mark | 19.09.09, 09:34 GMT
The more we can bring in outside parties (and the Tories are very different from the UUP in spite of the too often touted historical links) the better. I don't particularly like the Tories, Labour or Lib Dems, but they've all got far more to offer than the 'one issue' 'no surrender' mob in Northern Ireland. Anything's better than them unless you want to live in the 1950s forever.
Posted by Grant Smyth | 18.09.09, 16:44 GMT
will some one answer a question i have mentioned before ,,,,how can a person move to a party he has not been elected to ,,,if ever there was a situation where the votors were taken for granted it is this ,,if any politician had to realected to move to another party how many would take that chance,,,,its breathtaking and arrogant
Posted by hg | 18.09.09, 06:03 GMT
Change the isn't to ain't and you will have a downright true politician... Great article.
Posted by lanelle | 18.09.09, 01:33 GMT
i think that the ulster unionsts will find that most people in north down are more loyal to lady hermon and they will have very little hope of beating her in next election as she has shown she cares for the people and responds to them in person and not just at election time.
Posted by steve | 17.09.09, 17:52 GMT
Lets have a constitutional referendum now, and every ten years thereafter. In between referendii the existing parties can redraw themselves into left, centre, right etc. and get on with governing, within a stable constitutional arrangement.
Posted by Essex Expat | 17.09.09, 13:36 GMT
The conservatives will never be an influencial party in NI, take Scotland is the perfect example to illustrate this and thats not even taking into consideration that NI has its own native parties. <
Posted by Ulsterman | 17.09.09, 10:09 GMT
A whole column about a little known politician.
You did not have much to say when little Jeffrey and his friends dumped the Unionists and joined the DUP.
For dear sake, madam, get a grip on yourself.
Posted by Stephen | 16.09.09, 16:05 GMT
So, Ms Walker, by your reckoning you don't like "turncoats"like Jeffrey Donaldson and Arlene Foster et al who left the Ulster Unionist Party and joined the DUP.
Funny that, because I recall that in past editions of your column you had some nice things to say about the aforementioned MLA's.
Be consistant for once in your life.
Posted by Trevor | 16.09.09, 15:47 GMT
Will Hawkes
'We have moved on from those days'.
Perhaps someone could let the Tories know?
Also, think it would make much more sense for a credible centre-right party to set up and offer people of that persuasion a proper choice. Swallowing up the old UU party isn't the answer.
Posted by Ted Maul | 16.09.09, 15:39 GMT
Ted Maul,
I can understand perfectly why you would think that way, I lived here as well. However, we have moved on from those days and it is time for the normalisation of politics, the Tory party can play a bit part in that.
I welcome all political parties who have something to offer to the people of NI no matter what their history is, even ones who were led by Margaret Thatcher. It will hopefully show the electorate in NI that they have been electing a bunch of divisive amateurs for far too long.
Thatcher is in the past, do not let her history spoil our future.
Posted by Will Hawkes | 16.09.09, 15:29 GMT
I agree that Ulster is a socialist base overall! I feel the PUP could fill this area as representives of the working classes in a Unionist socialist sense. They have took the peaceful route so they should now broaden their political spectrum. The Unionist socialist vote is there for the taking!
Posted by Don King | 16.09.09, 13:55 GMT
Will Hawkes - given previous behaviour, I find it impossible to imagine the Conservative Party will have a positive impact on politics here.
Posted by Ted Maul | 16.09.09, 13:48 GMT
Moving from Alliance to the Conservatives is just about as perverse a move as one could imagine in NI. Imagine the torment of Mr Parsley's conscience as he struggled with that ideological leap!!
At any rate, it's no odds. If FF organise seriously in NI, it's goodnight SF, SDLP and any variety of moderate unionism/toryism. And good riddance to the lot of them.
Now, had Parsley jumped onto Brian Cowen's coattails, like old Harvey Bicker, that would have been news!
Posted by ireland abu | 15.09.09, 22:00 GMT
"Perhaps more than most places we in Northen Ireland don't like turncoats."
Well you certainly don't do you Gail? God forbid if someone should actually change their mind about a long held position. That sort of thing is taboo in backward places like northern Ireland, and this article is a nice illustration of just how backward it can be.
Posted by Watcher | 15.09.09, 16:24 GMT
Saighdúirí,
That's Northern Ireland for you. This place is the paradox capital of the world, paradoxically speaking of course.
Someday we will get our act together, I hope.
Posted by Will Hawkes | 15.09.09, 15:03 GMT
With the advent of Fianna Fail and the Conservatives entering Northern politics maybe the political landscape can be changed from the never ending constitutional question to real choice.
Sinn Fein are a hard left wing party, and constitutional questions aside, theoretically should be able to pick up as much support in East Belfast as they do in working class areas of Dublin. Yet it doesn't happen. Both sides are divided into ridiculous Irish or British camps.
This results in the Protestant working classes voting for hard right parties like the DUP or even the BNP while the Catholic middle classes - who if living in a normal society would probably lean Conservative - choose the left wing SDLP.
Baffling.
Posted by Saighdúirí | 15.09.09, 14:17 GMT
Maybe he is just a 'natural' Conservative, I am sure that he is not the only one. We have a bizarre line up of parties and choices when we go to the polling booths in NI, it is unlike most other democratic nations. Most nations vote for parties perceived to be on the 'left', 'centre' or 'right' of politics, socialist, liberal or conservative. We seem to have a choice based on one issue and one issue alone, the constitutional position of NI. United Ireland or United Kingdom, that's the choice.
I am very happy to see that the Conservative Party is taking NI seriously and I hope that they will have a positive impact on the fabric of politics here.
Posted by Will Hawkes | 15.09.09, 12:59 GMT
I repeat : the majority of people of Ulster are socialist and that Ian and other so called Tory Unionist parties have banged the drum and waved the flag to get themselves into a position of power! Its time for real working class parties to arise from the ashes these people have left!
Posted by mike monahan | 15.09.09, 12:28 GMT