Lord Empeys opening remarks at the UUP party conference over the weekend call into question just how ‘progressive’ the party actually is. The former UUP Leader put sole blame on the Alliance Party for the flag decision by Belfast City Hall and even set out a warning to the Irish Government. Regarding the flag decision he said the SDLP should have known better and put square blame on the Alliance Party as leading a non unionist coalition. The UUP doesnt seem to have grasped what a society for everyone actually means, even party leader Mike Nesbitts pitiful speech wreaked of the old rhetoric of Unionism if youre not for us, youre against us. Lord Empey went on to say that the Alliance Party is not a unionist party by any description. Given the fact that Alliance doesnt identify as ‘unionist’ in the Assembly, of which he was a member, he really should have known that. More surprising was the attack on the Irish Government, given that only a few short weeks ago members of his party had actively engaged to keep the Irish Government’s second chamber. He warned that if the Republic allowed Northern Irish citizens to vote in their elections that Unionists should refrain from “participation in these (cross-border) institutions. He ended with by commenting that the Irish Government that it would be wise to steer clear of any confrontation on this issue. sluggerotoole/2013/10/19/lord-empey-attacks-alliance-party-for-flags-participation-in-irish-constitutional-convention-and-issues-warning-to-dublin-government/
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 00:00:36 +0000