The reports of the NI Conservatives' surrender may have been greatly exaggerated

A couple of months ago, I criticised the public passivity of the Northern Irish Conservatives in the face of the inevitable battles (on both the domestic and national fronts) to come. It looks like the fightback has begun:

"We fully support the Coalition Government and its policies to reduce UK borrowings which are currently running at over £16,000,000 per hour. The coalition has hit the ground running, apparently sprinting in the case of Eric Pickles, and this augurs well for a rapid reduction in expenditure on non essential items. Obviously we have spoken to our colleagues about the need to treat Northern Ireland fairly in the coming announcements and to recognise the high proportion of our expenditure on Health and Education. We have also spoken to them about the possibility of transferring the responsibility for Corporation Tax rates to the Stormont Executive which we believe will be a key part of revitalising the Northern Ireland economy, and we are now optimistic that this will take place."

Apart from that rather unlikely (and frankly disturbing) image of Eric Pickles sprinting, just the response needed to answer the ignorant guff from the populist Deficit Deniers at the Bellylaugh and elsewhere.

You can read the rest of N. I. Conservative Chairman Irwin Armstrong's press release and have a look at their new website, here/