Ulster Unionist Party at its conference strikes balance between inclusivity and firm policies

The Ulster Unionist Party conference on Saturday was an interesting, and appropriate mix of tones.

In terms of culture, it was inclusive, with Irish dancers appearing on stage.

As the commentator Mick Fealty says in a tweet reproduced below, many people of a unionist background have sent their children to Irish dancing, and this continued through the Troubles.

The UUP is on an interesting journey to widen the appeal of unionism.

It deserves good wishes on that journey, so long as it does not compromise on core unionist principles.

After all, there is not much point in a political party having unionist in its name if protecting the Union is not at the very heart of its policies.

The UUP has a good track record in recent years of being robust on matters of great importance.

It outflanked the DUP on the crucial matter of legacy, and its opposition to the Stormont House proposals to deal with the past has been vindicated.

It was also right to oppose an Irish language act.

There have been times more recently when UUP politicians have seemed too flexible on contentious issues, at a time when NI’s place in the UK is under overt but also covert attack.

It was good on Saturday to see Mr Beattie speak so firmly against the NI Protocol, as he did at the Tory conference in Manchester last week, alongside the DUP and TUV leaders.

As he says, it does great damage to the successes of the 1998 Belfast Agreement.

It was good also to hear the health minister Robin Swann speaking so emphatically about his opposition to the protocol legal impediment to the movement of NHS drugs into NI.

Meanwhile, Lord Frost is still taking a firm public line against the Irish Sea border.

Let us hope this all brings results.

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