Sandra welcomes Conservatives and Unionists commitment to female candidates

Sandra Overend, 

Conservatives and Unionists candidate for Mid-Ulster 

As Women’s Development Officer for the Ulster Unionist Party I have been well aware that there was a lack of female representatives at a senior level in the Party.

This is something which the Party has sought to address and I am delighted to say that this is now a thing of the past, as evidenced by the fact that we have four female candidates standing under the Conservatives and Unionists banner in the forthcoming Westminster Election.

Paula Bradshaw is standing in South Belfast, Lesley Macaulay is running in East Londonderry, Daphne Trimble is our candidate in Lagan Valley and I shall be contesting Mid-Ulster.

Indeed with four female candidates, that is four more than the DUP, who have in the past not been slow to criticise us on this very issue.

I myself have been keen to ensure that people are promoted on merit regardless of whether they are male or female – to do so would mean losing out on a great deal of talent.

Irwin comments on DUP’s economically illiterate manifesto

Irwin Armstrong, 

Conservatives and Unionists candidate for North Antrim,

The DUP manifesto emphasises why we badly need a change of political direction in North Antrim. 

Not only is this document economically illiterate, its brass neck when it comes to expenses is scarcely believable!

While other parties have at least shown some contrition for exploiting the expenses system, the DUP is still trying to justify its behaviour! 

In fact it claims its MPs’ expenses “were of an entirely different nature” to those of other MPs. What arrogance!

While people in North Antrim work hard and struggle to pay their weekly food bills, our outgoing MP repeatedly claimed £400 worth of food a month for the short time he actually turned up to Westminster. His son was forced to resign as junior minister after constant questions about his relationship with a property developer.

After forty years of DUP/Paisley domination the last major international investment in this area was before Ian Paisley won our Westminster seat, the major hospital was lost to Antrim, the Army barracks closed, the local tax office is now closed, Ballymoney has lost much of its manufacturing industry and the side roads are in an appalling state. In contrast the Paisley dynasty’s chief legacy to North Antrim is a plush DUP constituency office in Ballymena. As one local man on the doorsteps summed it up ‘£60,000 a year for their office from the tax payer and I struggle to meet my bills’.

Voters in North Antrim are not fools. Many people I speak to on the doorsteps are angry about the expenses scandal and they know that the DUP are up to their necks in it. They want change and an end to dynasty, coat tail politics.

I, as a first time candidate and business owner, offer a chance for a new, transparent style of politics in North Antrim. I will publish my expenses monthly, so that every constituent can assess how they are being represented and every taxpayer can find out how their money is being spent and I will publish a monthly summary of my work for the people of North Antrim.

Political careers seem to begin in West Belfast!

Bill Manwaring,

Conservatives and Unionists candidate for West Belfast

In February 1969 a young man took his first steps as a political activist, canvassing a small area of West Belfast for the Ulster Unionist Candidate Basil McIvor. This young man knocked on doors and extolled the virtues of Mr. McIvor as a good man and a caring politician. That young man's name was David Trimble.

41 years later it was my good fortune to be able to invite Lord Trimble to help me canvas a part of that same area - the now much expanded Riverdale area of West Belfast.

For Lord Trimble it was an opportunity to revisit the start of a political career which has so far included the glowing achievements of the Good Friday Agreement and a Nobel Peace prize.

For me it was a great chance to show the resulting political changes where I, a pro- union politician, can knock on doors across West Belfast and talk openly with the residents, regardless of their religious or political beliefs, about change for us and our children.

The work that has been done by Lord Trimble and so many others in the last fifteen years has made Northern Ireland such a better place - but we are only at the start of this journey. Over the last three weeks, knocking on doors all over West Belfast, I keep hearing that people want change, they want politicians who will address the economy, poverty, housing and crime - these are the things that the people today in Riverdale were talking about.

That is the change I am proud to be campaigning for.

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Sandra is committed to resolving difficulties faced by older people

Sandra Overend, 

Conservatives and Unionists candidate for Mid-Ulster 

Pensioners have worked hard all their lives; they have paid their taxes and contributed to our economy and society. It is simply unacceptable that thousands of older people are continually facing poverty and hardship.

This election is crucially important for pensioners. 13 years of a Labour Government has seen the state pension depleted and private pensions decimated by Gordon Brown.

Conservatives and Unionists believe that pensioners deserve a better deal and that is why we are committed to protect existing age-related entitlements and increase the basic state pension in line with rising living standards.

We are committed to look at how to abolish the Default Retirement Age allowing people to work longer. We will protect free TV licenses, disability living allowances, attendance allowance and the pension credit.

Locally we need to rejuvenate the Warm Homes Scheme to ensure that as many people as possible are protected against fuel poverty.

Conservatives and Unionists are the only candidates in this election who can deliver for pensioners. I firmly believe that as a society we need greater respect and collaboration between the generations and we need to ensure that pensioners have the dignity and security in their old age that they deserve.

Harry says the DUP hung parliament strategy threatens the Union

Harry Hamilton,

Conservatives and Unionists candidate for Upper Bann

The DUP Manifesto attempts to portray the possibility of a hung parliament as 'a once in a lifetime opportunity' for Northern Ireland. This is almost precisely the same language used by the anti-unionist Scottish and Welsh nationalists. In a joint statement last month, the SNP and Plaid described a hung parliament as 'a once in a generation opportunity' to advance their agenda.

The DUP are prepared to dangerously gamble with the Union by aiming for a hung parliament. The very fact that Scottish and Welsh nationalists are also working for this should alert unionists to the real dangers in this strategy. A hung parliament would result in a weak government and a weak Union. It would increase the power of the separatists, seeking to use their influence in Parliament to tear the Union apart.

While the DUP share a platform with the SNP and Plaid, the Conservatives and Unionists are determined to see Northern Ireland at the heart of the Union - not allied to those who want to end it. Being on the window ledge of the Union, giving influence to Scottish and Welsh nationalists, is not a unionist vision. Nor is hoping for a weak government that can be held to ransom by the SNP and Plaid. On 6th May the people of Northern Ireland can vote for a strong, pro-Union government at Westminster by voting Conservatives and Unionists.

Paula says votes are not for sale in South Belfast

Paula Bradshaw,

Conservatives and Unionists candidate for South Belfast

I want to clarify that votes are not for sale in South Belfast.  I would emphasis this after the news of Jimmy Spratt's offer to trade his Assembly seat in return for the withdrawal from the Westminster campaign.

This is typical of the DUP who think that everything has a price. Contrary to Jimmy's policy I do not believe that constituents, or constituencies can be traded like a sliver of land.

For that reason I would never accept a seat to which I was not democratically elected. I am not prepared to deny voters their right to real representation. As far as I am concerned seats cannot be traded. Although when it comes to what the DUP really stands for the electorate have come to the realisation that it is not trust and integrity - particularly given the news reports and revelations over the last few months.

I am deeply disappointed that Mr Spratt has ignored the invitation to join my campaign. I have been canvassing for six weeks and the message on the doors has been clear. Unionist voters want a Unionist returned at this election. The only way we can ensure that this happens is by putting up a strong candidate who can attract votes from right across the pro-Union constituency and those who may never have voted unionist in the past. I believe I am that person.

Let us not forget what this is really about. The DUP may attempt to claim that this is about unionist unity. Who split unionism in the first place? If this is about the best thing for Unionism then why are the DUP refusing to back a candidate who can boost Northern Ireland's role within the UK? Is that not what Unionism is meant to be about? While the DUP share a platform with the SNP and Plaid, the Conservatives and Unionists are determined to see Northern Ireland at the heart of the Union - not allied to those who want to end it."

There is still time for one candidate to unite voters in South Belfast - therefore to Jimmy I would say - my door is always open.