UUP’s rivals praise outgoing minister Mike Nesbitt – but there's criticism of Jon Burrows over hospital reforms
Mike Nesbitt has received plaudits from across the political spectrum following his shock resignation on Tuesday night – but there has been little praise for his party leader from the Ulster Unionist Party’s rivals.
The health minister quit over a dispute with his boss over the future of emergency general surgery at the Causeway hospital – with Mr Burrows insistence on keeping the service at odds with his former minister’s reform agenda.
DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly wished Mr Nesbitt all the very best for the future – and thanked him for his work on health waiting lists.
“Too many people were and are waiting much too long - for operations, for investigations and tests, for the much-needed medical interventions. Access to GPs continues to be a huge and frustrating issue for people all over Northern Ireland.
“Progress was being made, through transformation and through ring-fenced funds for waiting lists by the Executive and actioned in the Department. This work must continue”, the Lagan Valley MLA said.
The First Minister Michelle O’Neill said she was “genuinely sorry” to see Mr Nesbitt resign, and said his presence in the Executive would be missed.
“He played a constructive and mature part in the Executive and was making welcome progress in reducing waiting lists. I wish Mike well for the future”, the SF MLA said.
Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood said: “We didn't always agree with each other on the decisions he took, but he listened to the arguments and on a few occasions when matters were urgent, he responded immediately
"I know personally that I had projects and arguments in train with the Health Minister around cancer services in particular that I felt we were only starting to make progress on relating to All-island Cancer Care and the thought of someone else reading into the Health Minister's post with only just a few months to go before an election feels like a missed opportunity for us all”.
However the current UUP leader came in for criticism. DUP MLA Paul Frew said that given the nature of Mike Nesbitt’s resignation letter, “there’s only one person in the UUP that can now take the Health Minister position and that’s Jon Burrows”.
However the North Antrim MLA added: “Although the only problem I see with him taking it is how long will it be until Jon Burrows the Health Minister falls out with his alter ego Jon Burrows the [constituency] MLA, that would be a real dilemma for the new leader Jon Burrows”.
The comments were a swipe at remarks by Mr Burrows on Monday, when he told the BBC that he had pledged support for the retention of services at Causeway hospital as a constituency MLA, not as party leader.
Mr Frew had earlier this week called on Mr Burrows to take control of his party’s policy on the future of the Coleraine hospital.
Mr Burrows says that while “clinical evidence must be central to decision making” – reforms to the health service “cannot simply be done to communities”.