Elliott: ‘I didn’t take decision lightly’
UUP leader Tom Elliott
UUP leader Tom Elliott speaks out on the events of the past few days and explains why he took the decision to discipline David McNarry
ON Friday evening I took the decision to stand David McNarry down as the Ulster Unionist Party’s nominee to hold the position of deputy chair in the Stormont education committee.
This was not a decision which I took lightly because I have known David for many years and hold him in very high regard.
However, following a media interview, certain matters came to light which meant that I had to act in the interest of internal discipline within the party.
In that interview, David went far beyond the brief which he had been given. He was given lines by the Press office and he deviated from those lines by some distance, going above and beyond what had been agreed.
Without wishing to go into too many details, I will highlight one example. At no point was David told to discuss the concept of an Ulster Unionist junior minister serving under a DUP minister. Such a notion is little more than a flight of fancy.
If David feels hurt by this turn of events then so do I. The fact is that he exceeded his brief in what he said to the Press. It wasn’t a hanging offence, but I felt I needed to impose discipline and as a result I chose to implement a very moderate level of punishment. I simply decided that he should no longer be the Ulster Unionist nominee for the post of deputy chair of the education committee. I didn’t remove the whip from him – he chose to remove it from himself in what I believe was an over-reaction. To use a sporting metaphor, when the referee shows a yellow card in football, it’s normal for the player involved to accept it, stay on the pitch and play on.
I would never contemplate anything for the future of this party which involved any type of merger. As I have always stated and reiterated last week, I have always questioned whether a single party would deliver the required electoral success for unionism.
I am content to explore if there are opportunities for cooperation with other unionists on matters of mutual interest which benefit unionism and Northern Ireland. I also have no problem in talking to other parties about day-to-day political issues because that, after all, is the very essence of politics.
I am proud to lead the Ulster Unionist Party and I can assure our members and supporters that if in the future there is a need for decisions to be taken as a result of any discussions, I will bring them before the party executive, the party’s policy-making body.
I am the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. I have to show that I can lead and impose discipline to reinforce that point. It is for others to show that they are capable of being led.
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
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