Jon Burrows explains why he chose the UUP as he's sworn in as an MLA for North Antrim
Jon Burrows has been sworn in at Stormont as the new Ulster Unionist MLA for North Antrim – saying his focus now is on getting to work in his new constituency.
The former PSNI superintendent was selected by the party to replace the Colin Crawford, who announced his intent to stand down earlier this year.
In an interview with the News Letter, Mr Burrows says that his new party has done “a lot of the heavy lifting for Northern Ireland” and has an ability to reach out beyond traditional unionist voters.
He says that he is awaiting a call from the leader about what his policy brief in the party will be – but whatever role he is given, he will bring his experience in policing and justice matters to the party.
Asked why he chose to join the UUP, Mr Burrows said it is a very important party in unionism, because of what it has done for Northern Ireland – particularly in terms of Belfast Agreement.
“I think there's a an appeal to being in a Unionist Party that is pro making Northern Ireland work – and the institutions work. It's pro law and order, and calls out wrong doing on both sides of the community.
“I often find them the first to call out things like the Moygashel bonfire. As someone who believes in law and order, I think it's actually a good fit for me, and I think it's a broad church where you can have different views”, he said.
In July, there was widespread condemnation of an effigy on a bonfire in the County Tyrone village which depicted migrants in a boat, which was then burned.
The North Antrim MLA says that the UUP has the potential to increase its reach beyond traditional Unionist voters – and that will be key to securing the union in the long term.
“It's a transfer friendly party. It doesn't get much in the way of first preference votes, but actually it's second preference votes, and third is quite strong, and I think that's actually that's actually a strategic strength that needs exploited.
“If you want to grow the Unionist base, I think it's a good vehicle to do so. It does appeal to me that, whilst it's hard to manage at times, leaders would say, because it's such a broad church, I do like being in a party where there is a degree of having your own view”, he said.
The former head of the PSNI’s discipline branch says he has not yet discussed with Mike Nesbitt what role he will have in the party – and will wait and see. However, he has made clear that he believes Northern Ireland’s justice system is failing and needs greater scrutiny.
“Regardless of what role I'm given officially, I will use my knowledge and insight and expertise in policing to hold to account the Department of Justice, because I think the leadership of the department is poor.
“I think there's problems in the justice system. I think our criminal justice system is much slower than anywhere else in the UK, and nothing really has been done to speed that up. I think our sentencing is consistently too soft. I think the Policing Board has been overdue reform for a very long time.
“I feel that the Department of Justice did not advocate enough for the police service to be resourced – and the police got into a crisis. And finally, we've exposed recently the lack of accountability framework around the Police Ombudsman as an office. You can't even be suspended.
“I think the Alliance have held that post for a long period of time, and nearly everything in that brief is defective. And I think that raises serious questions over the stewardship at the Department of Justice”, Mr Burrows said.
On the state of unionism at present, he said proponents of a united Ireland argue their case “persistently, passionately and vocally” – but there is not the corresponding “drive and energy and passion to argue the case for the Union and to critique the case for United Ireland”.
On claims unionists don’t get a fair hearing in the media, the North Antrim MLA said they are no longer reliant on the mainstream media – and should use other channels to get their message out.
“There is an issue that it is seen as fashionable and progressive to be pro United Ireland. It is almost seen as starchy and old fashioned to be pro-union. I think that's part of an image problem, and people are sometimes shy about saying they're Unionist”. He said one reason for that is that “the media treatment of unionism hasn't always been fair”.