Michael Shilliday yesterday became the first Chairman of the Young Unionists for forty years to address the Conservative Future Scotland Conference, Chekov has the speech here.
One of the advantages to the Conservative/UUP link up, from a Northern Irish Unionist point of view, is exactly this kind of opportunity to exchange and debate ideas and beliefs with likeminded colleagues across the Irish Sea- as Scottish and N.Irish Unionists, we are no longer singing from separate hymn-books.
5 comments:
>>..as Scottish and N.Irish Unionists, we are no longer singing from separate hymn-books.<<
I'd imagine you will be disabused of this notion fairly shrtly. Whilst not totally against playing to the orange vote now and then Scottish Unionists would/will baulk at the unhealthy associations the Irish have with the OO.
The Tories possess(usual supporters anyhow) two of the best political minds in Scotland who's aim is not to subvert the process of politics, unlike at times the Unionists in Ireland. The biggie is that the way Scottish Unionists/Tories have happilly and easily dealt with the SNP. I'm sure that radical thinkers amongst them(which I reckon is lacking with you guys) will be seeing future possibilities with this and not just ways to sabotage. Again this is not the dealings you guys have with nationalists.
Perhaps it will be healthy for you in particulat Oneil, but not I suspect the broad church of your party.
Well Said O'Neill
The last commenter made a valid point but from my meetings with younger members of the UUP, my impression is that the pentiums are whirring in the brains of the young guns of the UUP at a much higher speed than that of their senior colleagues who still have trouble "booting up"
Sooner or later, a younger politician will emerge from the UUP who is imaginative, bold and radical about the way forward for the Conservative and Unionist movement.
"Sooner or later, a younger politician will emerge from the UUP who is imaginative, bold and radical about the way forward for the Conservative and Unionist movement"
Let's hope there'll be more than one.
I believe there is an enormous amount of thinking and re-evaluating going on in the UUP at the moment, but there really needs to be more leadership and support from the top to help push this process along.
And it was a wee bit conditional, but it was interesting to see Michael group us together with the Scottish Cs as "Celtic conservatives":)
I was there the last time the Scottish YCs had two delegates from the Young Unionists (Peebles Hydro 1969) Actually the Scottish YCs had two attendees from Young Fianna Gael at their St.Andrews training course that year.
That Peebles Conference has created its own black legend. Drink was consumed and women were ravished (voluntarily of course)with the two delegates from the YUU did not let the side down
Hard to believe that last statement when you look at the fine and upstanding YUs of today...;)
Interesting about the Young Fianna gaels getting an invitation though-they'd also fall under the category of Celtic conservatives I guess.
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