It is now more than 5 months since the Conseravtive and Ulster Unionist link up was agreed – yet still there has been no sign that Lady Sylvia Hermon has made a decision as to whether or not to support her party’s commitment.
As Sir Reg Empey made clear over the weekend, the agreement does not apply to the current parliament. She is entitled to continue her work as an Ulster Unionist MP until the next General Election.
Lady Sylvia Hermon
Lady Hermon’s performance as an MP suggests that her politics are on the left. If this is true, then her political views are almost certainly incompatible with accepting the Conservative whip. Indeed, before the link-up, she made her unhappiness about it very clear. In the Newsletter of 14th October 2008, Liam Clarke wrote
“Lady Sylvia Hermon, the UUP’s sole MP, has made it crystal clear that she will neither take the Tory whip nor stand aside for another candidate.”
On the evidence of her silence, she does not seem to have changed her position. We have now reached the point where the candidates for the constituencies are about to be selected. However, the imminence of the Euro election makes the need to know her position even more pressing.
If she has already privately declared her position to the UUP leadership and this is unfavourable, there may have been a mutual agreement not to publicise it until after the Euro elections. If that is the case, then honour would be preserved but I can not see how this problem can stay out of the Euro campaign.
If Lady Hermon is deliberately withholding declaring her position, then the UUP ought to provide her with an ultimatum to do so within the next week or so. The terms of the ultimatum should be that if she fails to state her position before it expires, she forfeits her right to be selected as the candidate for North Down.
The signs are that the momentum on this question is gathering within the media. On the Politics Show yesterday, Jim Fitzpatrick pressed Sir Reg Empey about it. Today, there is a leading article on the matter in the Belfast Telegraph.
Notwithstanding the recent loss of her husband, Lady Hermon has had more than enough time to make her decision. Whether or not she has already declared her position, it needs to be made public very quickly. If it is not, the uncertainty will be exploited by our political opponents in the Euro campaign and the Media will increasingly ask questions. Lady Hermon must not be allowed to control the timing of a negative announcement. The UUP leadership must act now.
Filed under: UUP, Conservative Party, ulster unionist party, Unionism, Lady Sylvia Hermon Tagged: | UUP, Tory-UUP linkup, Conservative Party, Unionism, European Elections, Northern Ireland politics, General Election, european, EU elections, Sylvia Hermon, North Down, Lady Sylvia Hermon, ulster unionist party
I forecast this Lady is not for turning, she will not accept the Conservative whip and will be deselected for the next election. It may turn nasty.
You are correct it needs dealt with but not before the 4th June.
She’s been the spectre at the feast for too long.
“will be deselected for the next election”
The price of de-selection is unlikely to be just the Westminster seat it would probably cost the UUP their second Assembly seat too.
Fair deal.
Just looking at it purely objectively, the only thing we can say for certain is that the CUs would be in a stronger position if Lady Hermon joined the new force than if she stays out of it.
If she goes her own way, you could be right but I think anything is possible at this stage. She might even want to join the DUP!
I will comment or blog further when I know what she does.
SM
I would have assumed the Indie option especially as North Down has something of a tradition of it.
“I will comment or blog further when I know what she does.”
Poor michael s will be concerned at that news
Seymour you are right for coming out on this issue. Lady Hermon has behaved disgracefully but the leadership of the UUP is showing itself to be weak and without resolve. lady Hermon runs proverbial rings round Reg. I suspect he may be frightened of her. But, despite that, he needs to issue an ultimatum sooner rather than later. If she refuses to budge I’m sure the North Down tories will be delighted to provide a very able candidate.
Thank you Jeffrey.
I think the following needs to be added to emphasise the risk that the UUP seems to be taking. I am assuming that Frustrated Democrat has more or less set out the UUP’s position. If that is the case, then the UUP are taking a reckless gamble for the following reason.
For all we know, Lady Hermon might have made a secret deal to join the DUP or the Allliance Party. She may also have agreed with one of those parties that the best time to announce the defection would be Saturday 31st May. That gets out a big splash in the Sunday papers just ahead of the Euro election 4 days later.
However, if the UUP know there is no risk of that happening, it means that they know what she will do next. In that case, why should that be kept a secret until after June 4th? Surely, it is less damaging to announce the position now.
Seymour, I think you are right. Frankly I think it’s very unlikely she’d join the DUP. She has faults but, to be fair, she’s no Duppy. Alliance, possibly. But I think it’s more likely she’ll run as a UUP candidate and refuse to recognise the joint committee’s requirement to run under the joint branding. Then we might have a crisis. But what do I know?
Jeff,
Infinatly less than you think you do.
For one so young Michael, you have a nasty mouth on you. And your spelling is somewhat eccentic. Were you not listening in English class?
I was reluctant to allow the last comment but, obviously, offence was taken to the previous one.
I am the last person to want to censor comments. Could I ask commenters please not to take comments personally and not to make personal comments.
Thank you