NI Conservatives’ co-chair, Trevor Ringland, has described the shadow secretary of state’s comments about Northern Ireland, at the Labour Party Conference, as “lacking all credibility”.
“Vernon Coaker has a cheek criticising the government’s approach to Northern Ireland, when his party refuses to enter electoral politics here”, Trevor said. “In contrast the Conservative Party is the only national party which is committed to standing candidates in forthcoming elections in this part of the UK.”
“David Cameron and two secretaries of state, Theresa Villiers and Owen Paterson, have made sure that this government has been more engaged with day to day issues in Northern Ireland than any of its predecessors. Working with NI Conservatives, the administration has lifted 66,000 people here our of tax altogether, brought the G8 summit to Fermanagh, sorted out the PMS crisis, slashed long haul Air Passenger Duty, saved the Belfast coastguard service and provided an extra £226 million for capital projects.”
“In contrast, Ed Miliband, Vernon Coaker and Labour have abandoned people in Northern Ireland, preferring to support the SDLP, which wants a united Ireland, rather than providing a pro-Union, centre left platform. At its conference, the party seems to be trying to airbrush Northern Ireland out of existence, by practically removing the St Patrick’s Cross from its Union Flag logo.”
“The Conservatives are the only ‘one nation’ party currently operating in the UK. We urge Ed Miliband, Vernon Coaker and their colleagues to immediately start organising to contest elections here, so that we can have an honest debate about left-right politics. Otherwise the party simply lacks all credibility in its statements about Northern Ireland.”