Burrows hits back at 'right wing' claims - and says Stormont policy should be driven by people on the frontline not lobby groups
The Ulster Unionist Party has not shifted to the right, and claims that it has reflect the “ideological bubble” that some politicians live in – one that is not shared by the public, Jon Burrows has said.
The unionist leader says that being “strong” on issues like the rewriting of history by Sinn Fein, calling out failings in the Stormont institutions or the approach to law and order is not right wing – but right.
Mr Burrows has faced claims – some from within his own Stormont team – that he is taking the party in too much of a conservative direction.
Speaking to the News Letter, the UUP leader rejects that, saying he wants to speak directly with people on the frontline of public services and business – bypassing political ideology to deliver practically for people.
He has also said there is a “culture problem” in Northern Ireland politics around demands for more cash for the Executive from the UK Government – something he says plays into Sinn Fein’s “blame the Brits” approach.
The comments come amid a testing week for the North Antrim MLA, who is facing some opposition from within his Assembly team over his leadership. The party has been embroiled in a row over Doug Beattie’s future, with a number of senior party figures believing it is a matter of when, not if, the former leader goes.
Mr Burrows has the strong backing of the party’s grassroots, but a chunk of the party’s Stormont grouping are not happy with his leadership. Some of the resentment relates to the leader’s successful courting of the membership – the people who will keep him in post, regardless of the views of MLAs.
There has long been tension between members and MLAs. While much of this relates to personal disputes, the grassroots has not liked the stance taken by the party’s Assembly team on issues such as climate change legislation.
Mr Burrows has believes those laws need to be “revised” – arguing that is not a right wing policy, but “common sense”.
“When I said I was against puberty blockers, that was that was interpreted through an ideological lens. Whereas I was interpreting it through common sense, the protection of vulnerable people”, he said.
The UUP boss was asked if Stormont has been too reliant on canvassing the opinions of lobby groups, campaigners and trade unions when forming policies – and whether he wants to change it.
“One hundred percent. I think often they’re a filter for the sector that they claim to represent. You've got to be very careful. I believe in going direct to the source for their experiences. People like teachers and the classroom assistants.
“When you tour the country and start hearing the same things from different teachers in different parts of the country, you know you're on to the winning answers”, he said.Mr Burrows said that in his time in the Assembly he had identified various issues through this approach – issues which were not being addressed.
He cited issues he has uncovered relating to procurement and budgets in schools, misogyny and physical assaults towards teachers and classroom assistants – and the exorbitant cost of taxis for the Education Authority.
He said that he is currently touring Northern Ireland with deputy leader Diana Armstrong, speaking to businesses directly to identify practical challenges they are facing on issues like recruitment and regulations. All of this would be “feeding the policies” of the party, he said.
The UUP boss said that while he would, of course, consult with representative groups – the leadership is focused on “getting under the bonnet” and speaking to “experts by experience”.
“I also want to be the best promoter of the Union in unionism – by being smart. Promoting the benefits of the Union, which I’ve been doing on issues like national and economic security. But also my economic vision that now is the time for prosperity in Northern Ireland.
“Peace is no longer enough. We now need to fix public services, fix our governance in Stormont and drive prosperity. That’s why I’ve been out listening to business, talking about how we improve our skills pipeline for industry and also calling for reductions in VAT for hospitality businesses here”, he said.
Asked about the latest demands from the DUP and Sinn Fein for more cash to fix Stormont’s budget issues, Mr Burrows said there is a “culture problem”.
“If we were fiscally responsible and cut the waste, we could survive. And then we could – with more credibility – go to the UK Treasury and make the case for Northern Ireland being a pilot for cutting VAT in hospitality and tourism for the whole UK.
“I’ve called this blame game out. It merely plays into Sinn Fein’s hands – blaming the Brits. We should cut waste, reform public services and deal with the inefficiencies in our civil service first”, he said.