Irwin Armstrong, NI Conservatives’ Chairman, welcomed the Secretary of State Owen Paterson's speech on the close relationship between the UK and Ireland and moving Northern Ireland forward.
“Owen Paterson has shown the way forward by underlining the enduring close relationships in these isles, which are so important to us all, and at the same time emphasising the need to move on from the peace process to delivering for the people of Northern Ireland.”
“The need to revisit the Good Friday Agreement, more than a decade after it was implemented, has become urgent if we are to take advantage of the opportunities available to Northern Ireland. We fully support any move towards normal politics and, as I stated at our recent launch, we regard the introduction of an opposition as a priority; as is a meaningful shared future strategy.”
“Other local parties must grasp that these issues that are central to all our futures and treat them as a critical priority. Owen Paterson has once again taken the lead, as he has done on so many occasions. Let us hope they can set aside the past and look forward to the future and help us create a Northern Ireland we can all be proud of.”