One of the things that strikes me this morning is that I personally think that gay pride and the GAA have as much relevance as the Orange Order - they've probably both got more members – John Lund
The sad, sorry lot that shuffle about under the collective title of the Ulster Unionist Party have still not recovered from the loss of David Trimble as leader. Reg Empey, more suited to the world of business than the business of politics was brought in to replace DT and his task was to preside over the drift and the driftwood that went with it. A party determined to go nowhere elected a leader fit for purpose. He was more than up to the job and demonstrated as much by taking it nowhere
Now it is the turn of Tom Elliot, a case of Empty following Empey. So unimpressive is he that it is hard to imagine what he even looks like. The one thing he seems determined about is to suppress any alternative voices. Under the guise of the need for more discipline in the party things are hardly going to improve in terms of its political fortunes. We are just not going to hear about the misfortunes as often if Elliot gets his way. With the adoption of a more authoritarian stance the UUP is still in a state of political recession and the most imaginative idea the party leader can come up with is to force through an intellectual budget that will heavily tax ideas and imagination.
Elliott defends his "unembarrassed and unapologetic" brand of unionism and disputes allegations that he is a "political dinosaur". But with people like Harry Hamilton, Paula Bradshaw and Trevor Ringland all hoofing it away from Fermanagh hillbillies, Elliot and his fellow anti-Gay Pride and anti-GAA Neanderthals are providing startling evidence that Darwin got it wrong about evolution.
Long time Lagan Valley member and ‘venerable elder of the Party’ John Lund has found his membership suspended by a party disciplinary committee for a six month period for speaking his mind. Lund vented his spleen on the Nolan show but what he had to say was mild by comparison with the type of things Jeffrey Donaldson used to give off about. One complaint was that Elliot was bussing in his own supporters from the rural areas to help curb any moderate trends within the UUP. He expressed a fear that 'the progressives will not survive’ and that the ‘the party has been dragged back to 1969 and Harry West.’ For that he was deemed to have been ‘unacceptably critical of the leader’. Here too the disciplinary committee ruled against him, claiming it constituted an unacceptable public and personal attack on the former leader, West.
Dead leaders, not even protected by libel laws, can invoke UUP rules to protect them into eternity. For one time leader Jim Molyneaux, he can have it both ways. Although alive he has always looked dead and would have come through any spot the difference competition unspotted. Jim alive, Jim dead, it matters not. He shall not be criticised.
The blind leading the blind and the dead protecting the dead. A party with no future led by men from the past.
So true about Molyneaux, always looked like a corpse and with the personality of one to boot
ReplyDeleteWee tom thumb would get more votes
ReplyDeletethan tom lie a lot- i some-times
think that the u.u.p [ thats the name they use this week ] and the
stoops have give up- there hearts
are not in the game any-more,
harry west there is a name from the past- not be long before some one comes out with a book to say that old west won that election in 1981 against Bobby.
thoroughly enjoyed that.
ReplyDeleteJim Molyneaux is still alive???? Actually really surprised by that. Thought he died years ago. Kind of respect him in that he totally disappeared from the stage once he left politics. Somehow I don't think Sinn Fein's leader will follow his example.
ReplyDeleteSeems to be a trend that the leadership of most parties are dictatorial. And surrounded by sychofantic career seekers.
ReplyDeleteRyan,
ReplyDeleteis Molyneaux still alive? How is anyone to tell? He did make interventions after he stepped down. He sought to undermine Trimble both in public and behind the scenes. He was also a backer of the Donaldson subversion of Trimble.
Always thought they were a dreary lot the Official Unionists, they never seemed to openly spew the bile the big man did (not Gerry Ian)
ReplyDeleteArch bigots to the core especially wee Molyneaux, always found it funny that his lips did not move when he spoke.
Nuala,
ReplyDeleteI found him so dull.He reminded me of Liam Cosgrave. Things of the night that would have looked fit for purpose managing hearses.
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ReplyDeleteMichaelhenry
ReplyDeleteSecret sinner? Have a pop at the stoops while fully occupying their ground spouting their old words and working a plan handed to them on a plate by John Hume as if it were gerrys own hand in hand with the dup. Stoops never went as far as Gerry.