Tag: Speeches

Debbie Wilcox – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baroness Wilcox of Newport)

The tribute made by Debbie Wilcox, Baroness Wilcox of Newport, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

During her long reign, Her late Majesty demonstrated hard work, tireless commitment, loyalty, dignity and respect for duty and became the longest-serving monarch in British history. The changes that she saw over that time are quite astounding. In my part of the United Kingdom—Wales—the heavy industry that I grew up with in the mining areas has given way to financial and other services. Indeed, the United Kingdom itself is very different. Power is dispersed to other Parliaments in the four nations of the UK. Movement to and from the Commonwealth, the European Union and beyond has fashioned a more diverse and multicultural people in our society. Throughout her long life, the late Queen was an example of the importance of public duty. She clearly valued community, public service and loyalty to others.

I echo the comments of the First Minister of Wales, who said yesterday:

“It is with great sadness that”

people in Wales mourn

“the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II”

and

“her long and exceptional life, as our longest reigning monarch”.

Perhaps the most significant and long-lasting connection between Wales and the late Queen grew out of her empathy following the Aberfan disaster, as noted by my noble friends. That Friday in October 1966, as a young schoolgirl in Pontygwaith Primary School in the Rhondda, I stood in the playground after lunchtime and, along with my friends and under the instruction of our headmaster Mr Lewis, I closed my eyes, put my hands together and prayed for the children of Aberfan. I had never heard of the place before that day, as it was several valleys to the west, but I have never forgotten it since. The late Queen continued to make visits to the village over the decades and, indeed, visited it more than any other member of the Royal Family.

The first time I saw her in person was at Buckingham Palace in the summer of 2009. I was struck by her luminescence; she simply shone. The next time I saw her in person was in your Lordships’ House in December 2019 when attending my first State Opening, and the moment of seeing her again in person was extraordinary, especially as I was now one of her trusty and beloved servants, a phrase and understanding that will live with me for the rest of my life.

Yesterday was the day His Majesty conferred the title of Prince of Wales—Tywysog Cymru—on his eldest son. God bless the Prince of Wales. Yesterday evening, I joined the Bishop of Monmouth and the leader of Newport City Council at the city’s St Woolos’ Cathedral to take part in a service of thanksgiving for the life of our late Queen. It was a moment of extreme poignancy to sing for the first time in public—and we are good singers in Wales—“God save the King”, and I am glad that it took place in my home city and the place from where I proudly take my title. Tomorrow, I shall join the leader of the council and others to take part in the official proclamation ceremony at Newport Civic Centre and will then return to London on Monday to hear the King’s Address to both Houses of Parliament.

On the death of his father, Wales’s finest poet, Dylan Thomas, wrote:

“Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

God bless you, ma’am, and may you rest in peace. Er côf annwyl. God save the King.

October 9, 2022
Dominic Hubbard – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (6th Baron Addington)

The tribute made by Dominic Hubbard, 6th Baron Addington, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

Thinking about the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I have been struck by several factors. First, like most people alive today, I have only ever known a Queen. When you say, “God save the King”, it seems like something from a historical play, and we will have a great deal of getting used to it. This has become apparent, listening to these tributes, by the number of noble Lords who have made the mistake—I will probably make it myself—of referring to the Queen in the present tense rather than the past. There is a very strong feeling of a permanency that has been removed.

Secondly, the greatest achievement of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s reign is probably soft power. My noble friend Lord Alderdice has already mentioned her tremendous achievement in Ireland by making the settlement work there. I hope it is also worthwhile for me to join those who have commented on the Commonwealth. When an empire becomes a commonwealth, it is a considerable achievement. Empires do not usually come about because a nation has been invited to rule people; there are usually marching feet and weapons involved. The fact that we have transformed the Empire into the Commonwealth, and that it has grown and prospered, is a magnificent achievement. The fact that it was achieved by people who were not involved in that Empire is remarkable. This was all done under the leadership of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It will probably be regarded as her greatest achievement: the United Kingdom’s soft power, its projection and its cultural values have become things that we will all remember.

There is also the personal touch. As has already been mentioned, the Queen was “the Queen”; there was no other worldwide. The best example of that that I can find is from many years ago. I went through a friend’s record collection and found a BB King album on which he talks about meeting the Queen and giving her advice about what you do when you have too many parties to go to. I feel that the advice could probably have been going the other way. Nevertheless, everybody knew who the Queen was, and His Majesty King Charles III has a great opportunity and burden to carry on that work. I wish him every success.

October 9, 2022
Nick Baines – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Lord Bishop of Leeds)

The tribute made by Nick Baines, the Lord Bishop of Leeds, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

My Lords, when training to be a professional linguist, I was trained to drill down to as few words as possible, so forgive my lack of eloquence now. When I think of Her late Majesty the Queen, I drill down to one word: grace. She exercised grace in her responsibilities at every level, and it was rooted in her avowed and admitted need of the grace of God; it was where her discipline of accountability came from.

It is only by sitting here when the Queen was delivering her gracious Speech one year that I realised that we inhabit the constitution here. We do our business, as the judiciary, the Executive and the legislature, in the name of Her Majesty, but she reads the gracious Speech in the name of God as she looks up and sees the barons of the Magna Carta around this Chamber. It is that accountability that must lie at the heart of her legacy, if our words are not to be merely sentimental, nostalgic or empty. I trust that, in the reign of King Charles, this accountability, rooted in his already stated need of the grace of God, will characterise our common life. Long live the King.

October 9, 2022
David Alton – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron Alton of Liverpool)

The tribute made by David Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

My Lords, in 1947, the young Princess Elizabeth, celebrating her 21st birthday and on a tour of South Africa, made a speech which would give definition to her 70 years as monarch, setting out her belief that she was called to service. In 2007, there were echoes of that speech during a Roscoe Lecture which I had invited Prince Charles, now King Charles III, to deliver in Liverpool and at which we presented him with an honorary fellowship of Liverpool John Moore’s University. His reference in his lecture to TS Eliot’s “cycles of heaven” seems particularly apposite today. His mother’s promise six decades earlier had been that she would dedicate

“my whole life … to your service”,

and this became her lodestar, guiding her unstinting belief in the centrality of public service to the principle of duty, and it shaped her self-evident goodness.

In his first, warm and well-received message to the nation last night, King Charles reiterated those very same words, understanding that his mother has redefined how in a parliamentary democracy a constitutional monarchy must be steeped in selflessness, stoicism and politically detached public service, all of which Queen Elizabeth exemplified. Never partisan, her wise, generous and shrewd presence and leadership by example have been at the heart of our parliamentary democracy and, therefore, of our politics throughout my life.

I first saw the Queen when I was a child at primary school in the 1950s and she came to our town to perform a civic duty to open the town’s new council offices. We lined the pavements, waved our flags and cheered. Years later, I would welcome her to my Liverpool constituency, and here and in another place for more than 40 years have sat through all the Queen’s Speeches of that time, and all of us here have participated in the debates that have led to many of the 3,500 Acts of Parliament to which she gave Royal Assent.

Underlining how much has changed during those years and how rapidly things now change, it is worth noting that a baby born at the beginning of this week in which the Queen died will have already lived under the reign of a Head of State and the leadership of a premier who were different from those in those posts at the end of the same week. That such a transition could take place in an orderly and peaceful way tells us a great deal about the strength of constitutional monarchy, about the stewardship of Queen Elizabeth and about the ground rules for good governance which she has bequeathed to King Charles, and all this in an age and time of uncertainty and in a disordered world.

Democracies, in an age of authoritarian regimes, populists, ideologues and dictators, are fragile affairs. Buffeted in the headwinds of pandemic, war, consequential economic instability and political extremism, our democracies are vulnerable to enemies, old and new. It is salutary to observe how, in the face of such extraordinary, monumental challenges, which sometimes seem even existential, a constitutional monarchy has provided continuity, cohesion, courage, stability and strength.

Her late Majesty’s abiding belief in seeking the best was never seen more vividly than during her historic and reconciling visit to Ireland in 2011, and which has been referred to. It was a watershed, bridge-building moment in British-Irish relations, which have been mired in so much bitterness, violence and bad and tainted history. She insisted that we must

“bow to the past, but not be bound by it”—

a view which would have been echoed by my late mother, born in County Mayo and whose first language was Irish.

This refusal to be bound by the past was not a new discovery. In that 1947 Cape Town speech, the young Princess said that we could no longer simply see the world through the eyes of William Pitt. She insisted that we must embrace all people,

“whatever race they come from, and whatever language they speak.”

This was not unlike her belief in an evolving monarchy, and she said that

“an unwavering faith, a high courage, and a quiet heart”

would make the Commonwealth,

“which we all love so dearly, an even grander thing.”

It was true then; it is true now.

From his mother, King Charles has inherited this extraordinary network of nations. The Commonwealth is almost a third of the world’s population, comprising 2.4 billion people living in some 56 countries—an amazing legacy. But whether at home or abroad, the watchword has been public service and duty, the vocation to which she knew she was called when she emphatically declared:

“There is a motto which has been borne by many of my ancestors – a noble motto, ‘I serve’.”

As the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of York reminded us, the Queen has often said that her belief in public service was inspired by her faith. Yesterday, as I signed a book of condolence in Liverpool, both our cathedrals were united as places of real mourning and prayer. In 1947, she called on God to help her to make good her vow. Down the decades, in each of her Christmas Day broadcasts, she would remind the country of the centrality of her faith and of her profound respect for people of other faiths and traditions. The central message was mutual respect and service for the common good.

To conclude, at the outset of the Covid pandemic, she pointed the British people to the future and said:

“I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge, and those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any, that the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet, good-humoured resolve, and of fellow feeling still characterise this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future.”

These characteristics and attributes, which she hoped might identify the British people—good humour, resolve, self-discipline and fellow feeling—are most certainly qualities that can be ascribed to a much-loved and remarkable Queen who promised, as a 21-year-old, to serve her country throughout all her days and who unfailingly kept her word in doing so. Thank God for the Queen and her life of service, and long live the King.

October 9, 2022
Sayeeda Warsi – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baroness Warsi)

The tribute made by Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

My Lords, it is an honour to follow the noble Lord, Lord Harris—I had had an indication that I was apparently due to speak before him.

There is a great tradition in Muslim communities of a 40-day period of mourning at the passing of a close family member. That period is spent, among other things, reminiscing, remembering and recounting stories of the deceased; it is part of the grieving process. So today I wish to recount a few short stories of Her late Majesty.

In 1977, at the age of six in a small town in Yorkshire, I celebrated the Silver Jubilee. The school had decided that the way we were going to do that was to dress up as Liquorice Allsorts—I have still not worked out why. So there I was, dressed in a box with pink and black stripes, marching around the town. For six year-old me, the Queen was a distant, magical, almost mythical figure, removed from my life in that Yorkshire town. Years later, in 2010, then in my late 30s, I joined the Cabinet and attended my first meeting of the Privy Council. This was my journey, but it was also one of many journeys that played out during Her late Majesty’s reign and an example of what was possible during it and how this country had changed.

On Thursday evening, as the sad news of the Queen’s passing came through, my daughter called me. As with Her Majesty, she is the first woman in our family to serve in uniform, and she reminded me that we both had had the privilege of working for Her Majesty—she had been our boss. For that, we will both always be grateful. In time and for future generations, Her late Majesty will become a historical figure, but, for us, she will for ever remain someone whom we had the honour of serving.

I want finally to mention pets. I never grew up with pets in our working class, mill-working parents’ home. They had enough mouths to feed with their children. It left me with a lifelong fear of animals. So when I was invited to a small lunch at Windsor Castle and found myself in the company of the Queen and her corgis, I am not sure who struck fear in me most. My face must have reflected my racing heartbeat and my sweating palms. In the way that many noble Lords have reflected on today, in that very human and warm way, the Queen sensed my anxiety, smiled, engaged me in conversation and put me at ease. She also left me in no doubt that, although I was her invited lunch guest, the corgis came first.

Yesterday at Friday prayers, mosques up and down the country held prayers and paid their respects to our departed monarch. She was a friend of Muslim communities, both here in the United Kingdom and across the world. The tributes that have poured in are testament to that. So in line with Islamic tradition, I say this. Verily we belong to God and verily to him do we return. May her journey hereon be one of ease and her eternal final destination be one of peace. Long live the King.

October 9, 2022
Toby Harris – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron Harris of Haringey)

The tribute made by Toby Harris, Baron Harris of Haringey, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

There have been many fine tributes and I am sure that there will be many more from all corners of the House. That reflects the way in which we have all been touched by the life of Her Majesty the late Queen. We have all suffered a loss but, until Thursday evening, I had not appreciated how much of a loss was felt around the world. I happened to be in Rotterdam at an international conference and I noted the number of delegates from all corners of the world who came up to express their condolences, in a way that reflected the fact that they recognised that, for someone from this country, this was a personal loss, like that of a family member. But, as they spoke, they also talked about their own sense of loss, because the Queen touched all of their lives, all around the world.

Continuity and permanence were part of what it was all about—the noble Baroness mentioned the words of President Macron. So what do we all remember about Her late Majesty? First, there are those acts of unsung kindness, such as the daffodils delivered, without any publicity, to hospital staff rooms during Covid.

Above all, I think that we most remember that mischievous twinkle. Theresa May has probably stolen the market with her anecdote about the cheese, but I too have a cheese anecdote, although it happened not to me but to a senior police officer, who found himself sitting next to the Queen at a small dinner at Sandringham. As is often the case, towards the end of the meal, a very large Stilton slowly circulated around the guests. In it was a spoon, with which you were supposed to dig in and that was your portion. So he dug in, but he could not detach the Stilton from the spoon. He tried more and more forcefully, until it flew off, and he decided that he would give up and pass the Stilton on. It reached the Queen and, looking him firmly in the eye, she dug the spoon in and then demonstrated that, when you pressed a little button on the side of it, the Stilton dropped out. That twinkle remained with him for ever.

We have all had our experiences and I think that we should limit ourselves to two anecdotes a speech at most. My personal anecdote is about when I was a council leader and, at the request of the children, the Queen came to a primary school in my borough. She had visited around 30 years before, when the school was reopened after it had been bombed in the Second World War. But it then suffered a fire and, when work on it was completed, the children wrote to the palace. I am very touched that she decided to visit. I was just a bystander, watching the way in which she arrived, engaged and so on. Of course, the children made presentations: first they gave a bunch of flowers, then there was a concert and then the Queen was presented with a papier-mâché crown, the best description of which would be of the exuberance with which it had clearly been put together. The twinkle with which the Queen received it, thanked the children and then spent far longer than her attendants had expected talking to and playing with the children was remarkable.

Several people have asked how we will, or should, remember Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. A number of noble Lords have talked about “Elizabeth the Great” or “Elizabeth the Good”. There are other suggestions and one I particularly like is “Elizabeth the Dutiful”. But for me and, I suspect, for many other people, it will be as the Queen with the mischievous twinkle—not just for us but particularly for the children.

October 9, 2022
Maurice Morrow – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference (Lord Morrow)

The speech made by Maurice Morrow, Lord Morrow, on 8 October 2022.

Good morning, everybody,

I am delighted to be able to welcome you all to the Crowne Plaza hotel for our Annual Conference.

It is wonderful to see you all again after the hardships of the last few years. It is hard to believe that this is our first conference since 2019. I would like to say at the outset how sorry I was to learn of the passing of a number of colleagues, from across the country, during this time and I today we remember their contributions and our thoughts and prayers are with their families.

Last September the Democratic Unionist Party marked its 50th anniversary – a major milestone in the history of our Party. These celebrations allowed us to reflect on past achievements and remember fondly those who served our cause with distinction down through the years.

So today we look forward. This conference gives us an opportunity to meet and enjoy fellowship with friends and colleagues, to welcome new members and to go away re-energised ahead of the Local Government elections in May next year as well as the political battles that lie ahead.

I am delighted to see many new faces that have joined our Party. As Chairman I regularly have the joy of interviewing candidates seeking elected office and on each occasion it is clear that we have members coming forward who are keen to serve.

New blood is essential if we are to grow and thrive. I want to extend a special welcome to those who are joining us here for the first time today. I trust you will enjoy your first experience of the DUP conference.

Over the course of the day we will hear from DUP elected representatives at each level of government. This will include a vibrant mix of youth and experience. We also look forward to hearing from our external panellists who are most welcome as they join with us

You will see from the programme that we have several policy sessions lined up for later in the day, and I would encourage you to go along and listen to the panels. There is an opportunity to input and I know my colleagues in the policy unit would appreciate hearing your views and opinions.

We will also hear from local councillors this morning and as we look forward to the elections next year, I would ask that you listen carefully and those of you who are thinking of putting your name forward this is your chance to hear directly what is involved from those who already serve.

I would like to express my appreciation to all those who are engaged in the battle against the Protocol at this time. It is a heinous imposition on the people of Northern Ireland and we will be standing strong for our cause. Let me make it clear unless the Protocol is replaced there will be no prospect of this Party taking up places in a Stormont Executive. We will judge the Government on actions not words and we will not be following any timeline set by those who do not have Northern Ireland’s interests at their heart.

We will open this morning with a video presentation to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, followed by a minute’s silence for both Her Majesty and those friends and colleagues no longer with us.

This will be followed by our opening session, a panel discussion in the main hall on the issue of childcare and early years. This is one of the most important issues facing us at present and I look forward to hearing our contributors.

Following this session Michelle McIlveen MLA, our Education Minister, will speak.

I would also encourage you to support our conference charity this year, the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. You will all know of the fantastic work the Hospice does and I know everyone here will give generously.

Finally let me put on record our thanks to the hotel management and staff for all their help, both last night and today. It is very much appreciated.

I trust you will have an enjoyable conference

Good morning.

October 8, 2022
Gordon Lyons – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

The speech made by Gordon Lyons, the Director of Elections, on 8 October 2022.

Mr Chairman

I am delighted to be able to address conference following a three-year absence. It is good to be able to have our full programme of political activities within the Party recommenced.

As the Party’s Director of Elections, working with colleagues across the Party I am determined that we remain focused and ever ready for the election battles ahead.

Let it never be said that elections don’t matter or don’t have consequences. Of course they do and the choices made at the polls determine and shape Northern Ireland’s future.

When the DUP win elections, everyone wins.

We don’t simply pursue a narrow party political agenda; we work for the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland.

Look what happened in 2017. After an election that resulted in a hung Parliament – we delivered positive change and secured an additional £1 billion through the Confidence and Supply Agreement.

It was the DUP that secured a £165 million broadband scheme that has literally changed lives for those living and working in rural communities.

Every time we see a Fibrus van anywhere across Northern Ireland – we are reminded that because of the DUP, 88,000 homes will have access to superfast broadband, placing Northern Ireland amongst the most connected countries anywhere in the world.

The DUP alone secured an additional £200 million to support health and social care transformation, with 100 million pounds provided to make a more immediate impact on health and education pressures.

We also secured £50m to deliver vital mental health services over a five-year period to people affected right across the Province.

The DUP successfully lobbied for the City and Growth Deals; securing some £1.2 billion capital funding for the next fifteen years to help drive economic growth and prosperity across the various projects in NI

During the course of the last Assembly mandate, it was this Party that led on protecting jobs and livelihoods during the Covid-19 pandemic;

Delivering £286m Economic Recovery Action Plan,

The hugely successful £145m High Street Scheme,

And plans that will move our economy and our country forward.

Working alongside the UK Government we have also ensured that energy support payments, vital during this cost of living crisis, are delivered in the same way, and at the same time, as elsewhere in the UK.

We know that when we make Northern Ireland work, when we make the Union work, everyone wins.

Compare and contrast that to Sinn Fein

Though they played it down, we warned that Sinn Fein in pole position would use the outcome to call for a divisive border poll. The results were barely in when the international champagne popping Mary Lou McDonald was telling the world’s media that it was time for a referendum, and not a day passes without one of their representatives smugly calling for it.

Look around at what Sinn Fein does when they have majority control of local councils. Banning the sale of poppies, refusing to acknowledge unionist culture and offering little recognition of those things that as unionists we cherish.

Even today, when virtually nobody wants to see the end of the grace periods and mitigations, and we want to see the Protocol replaced, Sinn Fein representatives still call for the rigorous implementation of a Protocol that is anathema to unionists.

Of course they are not alone with the choir of Protocol cheerleading Alliance Party.

Stephen Farry, who previously wanted to ban the Linfield strip, also seems intent on fully implementing a Protocol that has added to the cost of living crisis and which has negatively impacted many businesses and crippled consumer choice in Northern Ireland.

I am sure that it hasn’t escaped anyone’s notice that the Sinn Fein Northern Ireland Leader, Michelle O’Neill, has self styled herself as a ‘First minister for all’.

Really?

Behind the spin lie many uncomfortable and ugly truths about Sinn Fein.

From Barry McIlduff mocking the victims of the Kingsmill massacre, countless stories about internal bullying and intimidation, to disgusting sectarian, misogynistic and derogatory social media outbursts, Sinn Fein continues to act only in the interests of themselves.

Michelle O’Neill continues to justify and glorify IRA terrorism; falsely stating that there was no alternative to the bloody and indiscriminate violence of the Provisional IRA.

Sinn Fein blocked a victims pension scheme, simply because a handful of convicted IRA terrorists would have been excluded.

Despite their outcries now, it was SF who blocked the formation of an Executive – not because of an issue that impacts everyone – but in their pursuit of their narrow agenda.

Two elected representatives pocketed COVID money when they knew they shouldn’t have received it.

At Stormont, Sinn Fein couldn’t bring themselves to demonstrate respect to unionists by allowing a commemorative stone to be placed in the grounds of Parliament Buildings.

And let us not forget that during the Covid pandemic, when DUP Ministers were delivering millions of pounds worth of vital financial support to struggling businesses, Sinn Fein’s Conor Murphy claimed that he had secured a joint PPE order with the Irish Republic – a claim dismissed by the Irish Government and a demonstration of incompetence and untruths.

But worst of all, at a time when many of us sacrificed so much to abide by the lockdown rules, missing out of precious family moments, Sinn Fein organised a mass public funeral for former IRA man Bobby Storey, and Michelle O’Neill walked front and centre of the procession.

So of course, elections matter. How we vote matters.

This year’s Assembly election was heralded as a huge success for nationalism. Calls for a border poll intensified.

But let’s look at the reality.

In 1998, the combined vote share for nationalism was 39.9%.

In 2022? It was 39.4%.

Sinn Fein didn’t gain any seats. Nationalism lost more seats than unionism.

What changed? A fragmented unionist vote.

We need to understand that division within unionism comes at a cost to unionism. It is not risk free and today we see the consequences of that.

So let us redouble our efforts to get that message out – to convince people of the merits of the union, to promote the positive case for the Union and to commit to working with fellow unionists to maximise co-operation and influence.

I want to thank each and everyone one of you for your help during the election campaign in May.

Despite the predictions of the end of the DUP we were returned as the largest unionist party and the undisputed voice of Unionism.

We were saddened by the loss of Mervyn and Peter from the Assembly team. I am pleased to say we are already at an advanced stage to make us “campaign ready” to target those areas and retake those seats.

We deeply appreciate the time that is given up to knock doors, put up posters, label envelopes and convince your friends and family to vote. It is vitally important as we seek to maximise our vote.

Our party members are the backbone of our party. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do, if you didn’t do what you do.

So thank you for all your work and effort. It isn’t forgotten and it isn’t taken for granted.

Preparations are advancing for the Local Government election in May 2023 when we will fight for seats in the eleven councils across Northern Ireland. Our Council representatives are critical to our party and they are often the first port of call for constituents.

The DUP has prided itself on its strong community based representation in councils across Northern Ireland and for speaking up for hard pressed ratepayers.

When others engage in squander and waste the DUP has been to the fore in standing strong and defending the rate –payer.

In our 2019 local government manifesto we committed to delivering more play parks across Northern Ireland with accessible equipment for children with disabilities. It is yet another example of delivering to make a real difference in the lives of those whom we serve.

Within the next few weeks we will be moving to the latter stages of our local council candidates selection processes. I can say with confidence that we will be able to field a strong team of candidates with that comprise a mixture of old and new, experience and youth and vitally a team that will have the necessary skill-set to work hard for the communities they will endeavour to represent.

We will work hard for every vote at that election as we build our presence across the Province. To those councillors stepping down I place on record my thanks for their labours and efforts, some over many years, and I look forward to them continuing to play an active role within the membership of the Party.

______

Today I can also announce that we are election ready if the Secretary of State decides to move forward with a further Assembly poll. We will take our message to the people and campaign for their support on this most vital of issues.

Conference, our message is clear; without decisive action on the Protocol, and Northern Ireland’s place within the UK fully restored there is no basis to re-enter the Executive.

We do not fear an election should the Government so decide. If the government believe that an election, or a threat of an election, will influence how we judge the issue of the Protocol they are badly advised and they underestimate our resolve.

Of course, there is an alternative: Get the Protocol sorted – not with short term fudges and mitigations – but with arrangements that restore Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom internal market.

As each week passes, we see again and again the impact that it is having.

A 25% tariff on steel.

An inability to cut VAT on energy bills.

No vat relief on energy saving technologies.

Businesses drowned in paperwork.

Huge additional costs for haulage companies.

Unwarranted and unreasonable checks.

Uncertainty sourcing medicines and veterinary medicines.

Environmental health officers removing noodles from shops

Northern Ireland consumers excluded from the full benefits of new UK trade deals.

And remember this is during a time of limited implementation.

Imagine if the grace periods were gone and if we had full implementation. What would happen?

Last year, the Financial Times reported that one big UK supermarket chain had estimated that imposing full controls on mixed loads of products heading to Northern Ireland could mean seven million additional documents a year to maintain its current delivery levels. For little over 2% of the UK market?

The European Commission has even demanded that passengers from Great Britain be stopped when they enter Northern Ireland and have their personal luggage searched to check for some of the most basic foods. More madness.

Sometimes standing up to this insanity has been a lonely pursuit. Other parties don’t understand or simply don’t care about the damage that could be inflicted to our economy and way of life.

But it is not just unionist businesses and consumers that have been and will be impacted, everyone is.

And I am glad that slowly but surely others are moving towards our position.

Other parties here in Northern Ireland have now called for the existing mitigations and grace periods to not only continue, but to be made permanent.

The UK Government too has belatedly accepted the folly of the Protocol; but what we now need is action following the command paper and Protocol Bill.

Even Leo Varadkar, said this week that he thought the protocol was maybe a little too strict! In other news he also declared the sun is hot, the moon is far away and the pope is a catholic!

We will not allow Northern Ireland to be a pawn in the EU’s game. We will not allow the Irish Government to stoke fears of violence as a reason to ignore unionist concerns. And we will stand strong for those people who want to see a fair and lasting outcome.

We believe solutions can be found.

We believe the integrity of the UK internal market can be restored.

We believe that we can be good neighbours both to our friends in the Republic of Ireland and the European Union.

Let’s make sure that we act on our responsibility, not just to deal with the present challenges that we face but also to grasp the opportunities that will make for a better future.

Unlike Sinn Fein, who speak of unity but sow division, we want to see Northern Ireland work for everyone.

We know Northern Ireland is a great place –

A great place to live

A great place to work

A great place to visit

And a great place to invest

We are here today not just because we love Northern Ireland, and want to maintain it and its position within the UK, but because we are ambitious for this place too.

And we have a plan to make Northern Ireland even better.

A place where young people have boundless opportunity.

Where everyone is respected and valued.

Where everyone, regardless of their background, feels at home.

An ever peaceful and prosperous Northern Ireland.

That is the prize that is in front of us.

That is what we must do to secure the Union.

That is what we must do together.

And that is what we will do.

Thank You.

October 8, 2022
Michelle McIlveen – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

The speech made by Michelle McIlveen, the Education Minister, on 8 October 2022.

Good morning Conference

It is a real pleasure to be here with you all once again and to have this opportunity to address you as Education Minister.

Since we last met together, Northern Ireland, and the world, has faced the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed as a reaction to that pandemic.

This has been an incredibly difficult period for pupils, parents, staff and school leaders who have faced unparalleled challenges. Schools were shut. Home learning introduced. Guidelines changed as infection levels fluctuated. Each step putting strain on those affected and a need to readapt.

I would like to place on record my thanks for the patience, resilience and versatility of principals, teachers, support staff, mothers, fathers, carers, grannies and grandas as they supported our children and their children through these unprecedented times. And, of course, to the young people who rose to those challenges. Thank you so much.

When schools were forced to close, our party and our Ministers fought hard to ensure that support mechanisms were put in place for children and the most vulnerable. It was our Party and our Ministers who sought to get schools reopened at the earliest and safest opportunity. It was our Party and our Ministers who fought to ensure that our schools remained open.

I recall being personally lambasted again and again for resisting calls to shut schools. If this decision had been left in the hands of other parties, the impact on our children would have been devastating. We have already seen the impact of lockdowns on educational progress and mental wellbeing – especially on vulnerable pupils. How much worse would this have been if we had wavered on this position?

Conference, it is now clear for all to see that we were right and that we are the Party who place children, their wellbeing and their futures at the heart of our decision-making.

In the midst of everything, it is sometimes possible to forget about what has been done. I want to take a moment to remind you about what has been delivered by this Party:

Announcing the largest ever capital investment scheme for schools in Northern Ireland to deliver 28 new post-primary schools at a cost of 794 million pounds. We have an ageing school estate and all our children deserve to be in modern, fit-for-purpose facilities.

Doubling the number of Nurture Units, which support our most vulnerable pupils in mainstream education

Providing an additional 149 million pounds in direct funding to schools during the pandemic Creating “Healthy Happy Minds”, a UK-first Primary School Counselling scheme with direct investment of over 9 million pounds

Delivering the Engage programme to provide support to children coming back to school during Covid with investment of more than 46 million pounds

Levering 700 million pounds on top of the Department’s baseline budget from the Executive to invest in our children

Increasing by 77%, funding for children with Special Educational Needs

Rolling out Northern Ireland’s first ever Holiday Hunger scheme

Establishing the “period poverty” pilot for schools

Developed schemes to celebrate the centenary of Northern Ireland and Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee

Those are just a few examples of delivery. Earlier this year, I developed and brought through a piece of legislation which I had been lobbying for, for many years. The School Age Act will provide real choice to the parents of children born in April, May and June each year and allow flexibility to the parents of premature children who would have been “young for year” if born at term. An important law which will mean that those children will not be disadvantaged in development terms.

As a Party we have sought to address the causes of Educational Underachievement. We not only commissioned the first report of its kind for Northern Ireland, but we have also implemented and funded the action points contained within the Fair Start Report. Other parties pay lip-service to Educational Underachievement; this Party takes action.

Since the Assembly election in May, Ministers have remained in post and I have continued to deliver on our manifesto promises. While other parties have claimed that nothing can be done while the Executive does not meet – I and other DUP Ministers have been hard at work delivering for the people of Northern Ireland.

We said that we would support working families. Conference, you have just heard from our panel. We recognise the need for teachers to be in our schools, for nurses to be in our hospitals, for workers to be in our offices, for those who want to continue their careers to be at their jobs – they need our support to do this. We recognise that early educational intervention is vital to the development of our children – we are taking steps to provide this on an equitable basis regardless of income. Last month I announced that my Department would deliver a minimum 22.5 hours each week of pre-school provision.

We said that we would help with the costs of school uniforms. I can advise Conference that an additional £1million has been allocated to help struggling families and I have asked officials to review the entire model to make it fit for purpose.

I applaud the work being undertaken by schools, community and voluntary groups across Northern Ireland in providing uniform hubs and other initiatives to help families but that should not be the case. During my limited time in the last Assembly term, I have put this high on the agenda and it will be a priority issue during this next mandate.

We said that we would restructure special educational needs services. I have allocated over 6 million pounds to transform educational provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across Northern Ireland.

I also provided an additional 12.6 million pounds to allow the summer holiday food grant to continue – helping families in this time of need. A further 2 million pounds for the Healthy Happy Minds scheme and an additional 10 million pounds for the Engage programme.

However, Conference, further challenges lie ahead for education. Conor Murphy’s draft budget – a budget opposed by this Party – would see Education 100s of millions of pounds underfunded on key priorities. Coupled with that is the Integrated Education Act.

This is a piece of legislation, I, as Minister, opposed and which will disadvantage the 93% of our children who attend controlled or maintained sector schools. When schools begin to struggle with their budgets, I sincerely hope that questions are asked of the SDLP and Sinn Fein as to why they supported legislation they called “flawed” and why the UUP could not have joined with us to block it. This is legislation so bad it could not be amended into something fair and workable. To stand against it was not to stand against our children being educated together; but would have stopped a law that would have unfairly disadvantaged our schools and our pupils. There is considerable work that needs done to prevent the harm this legislation will do to the education sector in Northern Ireland.

During my tenure as Minister, I have taken the opportunity to visit hundreds of schools, nurseries and educational facilities right across Northern Ireland. I have met with principals, teachers, youth workers, staff and young people. I have seen their needs first hand, I have listened to their concerns face to face and I have been their strongest advocate. All of them share our desire to build a better and brighter future for our children. Again I would like to thank them for what they do – they are amazing.

We are committed to treating all schools equally and standing firm against a hierarchy of sectors.

We are committed to tackling educational underachievement and improving equality of opportunity and educational outcomes.

We want to give our children the best start in life and provide them with the tools to succeed. As a Party, their needs, not party ideology, is at the core of what we do.

As a former teacher, it has been an honour for me to have served Northern Ireland as Education Minister. While these times have been challenging, we have seen the best of our people. We have seen our pupils continuing to improve and flourish. We have seen a generosity of spirit and a determination to overcome. As Northern Ireland passes it centenary, our children, and how we educate, develop and equip them, will be the foundation for our next hundred years.

Thank you conference.

October 8, 2022
Stephen Dunne – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

The speech made by Stephen Dunne, the MLA for North Down, on 8 October 2022.

Thank You Very Much Mr Chairman

I am delighted to be addressing Conference this morning.

It’s great to have our Conference back for the first time in three years and to share this weekend with friends and colleagues from across our country and beyond.

The Democratic Unionist Party has an unrivalled record of representation – one that each of us can be proud of.

For more than five decades, this Party has been the heart and soul of grassroots Unionism across our Province.

During this time, it has often been said that our motto is service ever, surrender never.

Service first and foremost to the people and communities that we represent and to the cause of our precious Union.

This vision has passed from one generation to the next. It is what drives me in frontline politics.

It is why I am a member of the DUP, and it is why I am proud to play my part in building a better Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom –

– A Northern Ireland that works for all.

As someone who served as a local Councillor for almost ten years, and more recently as an MLA, I am honoured to be following in the footsteps of my late father.

Gordon, as you will all know, proudly served this party as an elected representative for almost forty years. Like him,

I know the importance of local representation.

I will always do my best for those I am privileged to represent, just like he did.

Day and daily, not just in North Down, but throughout our network of DUP Advice Centres across Northern Ireland, this Party is on the ground, listening, engaging and seeking to improve the lives of those who need our help the most.

Whether it be the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, helping the most vulnerable access vital services and everything in between, this Party is best placed and more determined than any other to get the best deal for our constituents.

Conference, since we were last here, we celebrated the centenary of Northern Ireland, and this Party marked a milestone of its own – our 50th Anniversary.

As we reflect on these events, we have cause for optimism.

Only this Party has the strength and the determination to defend Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.

Only the DUP has the vision to deliver a Northern Ireland where every child gets a fair start, where businesses are able to grow and invest, and where young people want to live, work and raise a family.

Friends, we can be confident for the future because we have done it before, and we will do it again.

And God-willing we can look forward to many more anniversaries in the years ahead.

Conference, we have been blessed to live under the reign of our much-missed monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (the second).

Her life was defined by many years of faithful, steadfast and selfless service to our nation and the Commonwealth.

Whilst we mourn her loss, we know that with God’s help and guidance, our nation will continue to prosper in the years ahead, under our new Head of State King Charles III (the third).

These events, whilst difficult, highlighted once again that we are stronger together.

Friends, I do not need to convince you of the merits of Northern Ireland’s membership of the United Kingdom.

Being an integral part of the fifth largest global economy brings unparalleled benefits for businesses and consumers.

And we all benefit from a National Health Service that is revered around the world.

And even now, as our households face soaring bills, it is our national government at Westminster that is best placed to provide that much-needed safety net and protect the most vulnerable.

We will not, therefore, be distracted or derailed in our vision for Northern Ireland by the fanciful agenda of a so-called United Ireland.

That does not mean the future is without its challenges.

Securing and strengthening the Union for generations means dealing with the border in the Irish Sea.

The Protocol demonstrates the greatest single threat to our place in the United Kingdom in a generation.

It was an act of economic and constitutional self-harm by the Government.

Every day East-West checks are adding cost to businesses and reducing choice for consumers.

Don’t believe those who say it is not contributing to the cost of living. It is.

The decision to foist these arrangements without the consent of any unionist elected representative has upset the delicate political balance in Northern Ireland.

25 years of progress in Northern Ireland was built on cross-community consent.

The Protocol has attacked that principle, and the very foundations of devolution now hang by a thread.

This Party has a mandate for the action it has taken.

Yes, we are committed to devolution. Yes, we believe it is in the best interests of Northern Ireland and the Union. And yes, we want to see a fully-functioning Executive.

However, for that to happen the Protocol needs to be replaced with arrangements that command the support of Unionists as well as nationalists.

The Alliance Party would re-write the Belfast Agreement to exclude Unionists rather than recognise their concerns. Shame on them.

Let me be clear – we will not be silenced. Unionism will not be side-lined.

The politics of exclusion is a road to nowhere.

Our mandate must be respected and if necessary, we will not hesitate to take our message to the electorate and have that mandate renewed.

Conference, we will only be successful in this cause if we move forward as one.

The Assembly election in May, was a reminder of the dangers of a divided unionism.

Time and time again, on the doors in North Down and right across Northern Ireland, we heard the message loud and clear from Unionists, that there were too many Unionist candidates.

Unfortunately, despite our many warnings, some Unionists sought to exploit problems for their own electoral gain, perpetuating the myth that voters could not split the vote.

Regrettably Unionism suffered as a result. Unionist representation was lost in North Antrim, East Antrim and Strangford.

If we are to take new ground for the Union this cannot go on.

Now is not the time for ‘vanity projects’ or ‘one-man bands’.

It is not the time for one-upmanship within the Unionist family.

If those around us truly believe in United unionism, then their actions must reflect that.

I invite them to work together with the largest Unionist party to maintain and promote the strength of the Union.

We ARE best placed to defend the Union and deliver a brighter future for the next generation.

Our shared values such as freedom of expression, encouraging business and entrepreneurship, protecting our environment whilst supporting our farmers is a vision which we all should be proud of.

Recently I have been encouraged that many young people share this vision too. They are informed enough to make their own political judgments that Unionism works.

However….. there is room for improvement.

We need to be more effective in selling our message. Over the past year I’ve had the privilege of hosting young people on work experience.

They have a real enthusiasm, hunger and confidence to make Northern Ireland a better place for both themselves, and their children.

They want to play an active role in Moving Forward Together.

We need to help them to do so. It is our duty to work with the next generation, to retain their skills within Northern Ireland, and build confidence within, promoting the fact that the Union is best.

Friends, one of the greatest ever Britons, Sir Winston Churchill said this: ‘‘You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give.’’

My pledge to you this morning is that I will keep on giving so that the lives of the people that I represent can be improved and enriched within the United Kingdom.

I owe this to those that have gone before and to those waiting in the wings to lead the charge for this Party and the Union.

Thank you very much.

October 8, 2022