Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness

The Conservatives and Unionists candidate selection procedure has finally started to deliver some results. After months of prevarication the UUP has begun to put bums on seats and, although I understand another deadline has elapsed, an end to the process is in sight. The main spanner in the works remains Sylvia Hermon. Clearly the UUP is still attempting to broker some type of fudg e in order to let her stand, without accepting the UCUNF banner. After a year of sweeping the 'Lady' under the carpet, the party doesn't appear to have a bin bag into which she will fit. It is a preposterous situation. Hermon has repeatedly attacked the Conservative arrangement. Even if she were to agree to take the Tory whip at Westminster, her inclusion as a candidate would undermine the deal. And the very fact that discussions are still ongoing already undermines Sir Reg Empey's status as party leader. The equation is very simple. The Conservatives and Unionists have vowed to field...

Jeff Peel doesn't reveal any sources, but on his (Public) Diary blog he suggests that the Alliance Party is set to 'support' Sylvia Hermon 'rather than' Ian Parsley in the North Down race for Westminster. How this support would manifest itself is not made clear. Conservatives and Unionists have not selected a candidate for North Down, but the former Alliance man, Parsley, has been nominated and it is thought that the Conservative party is unlikely to countenance an endorsement of the current Ulster Unionist MP. Is Alliance set to intervene in another party's selection process or is it prepared not to stand in North Down, should Sylvia Hermon decide to contest the seat as an independent? Perhaps, within the party, there is simply a preference for a figure considered to be left liberal, rather than a recent defector? After all, whether or not, as Jeff contends, Alliance voters are intrinsically sympathetic to the Conservatives, its leadership are a rather diff...

Is the Irish News’ former SDLP functionary Tom Kelly starting to warm to the Conservatives and Unionists project? Doubtful. Although he appears to recognise some of the pact’s strengths, in his latest column . He also, however, seems rather confused as to the issue of the North Down candidature and the Ulster Unionists’ dissident MP, Lady Sylvia Hermon. “It’s difficult to see the how the unsurprising defection of Ian Parsley will positively affect the Ulster Unionist/Tory platform, especially if the plan is to run him as a Tory against Lady Hermon as an Ulster Unionist.” If Hermon were to stand in North Down, my understanding is that it would, necessarily, be as an independent (if the UCUNF arrangement remains in place). There is no prospect of the sitting MP facing Parsley, or any other Conservative candidate, as an Ulster Unionist, under the present dispensation. Nor is there any possibility that the Conservatives will endorse Hermon, should she perform an almighty u turn.

The Conservatives have issued a press release welcoming his arrival: The Conservatives are delighted to announce that Councillor Ian Parsley has resigned from the Alliance Party and joined our Party. Tim Lewis, Chairman of the Conservatives in Northern Ireland, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ian to our Party. Ian is determined to continue his hard work on North Down Council where he will sit as a Conservative. This move once again shows the growing appeal of the Conservatives throughout Northern Ireland.” Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson said: “The mood for change in Northern Ireland is very strong. I am delighted that Ian Parsley, who is a rising star of the new generation of Northern Ireland politicians, has decided to join David Cameron’s Conservative Party in order to help bring Northern Ireland into mainstream UK politics.” Commenting on his move, Ian Parsley said: “Having given significant thought to the future of Northern Ireland I came to the ...

Slugger picks up on a newspaper story that Ian Parsley is set to defect to the Ulster Unionists. The Alliance European election candidate promises a comment later in the day, but observes that the report contains 'substantial inaccuracies' , on his blog. There are inaccuracies and inaccuracies however. If Parsley joins the Conservatives and Unionists, and I believe it will be the Conservative party which he is likely to favour, after taking a job with Iain Duncan Smith's Centre for Social Justice, then he becomes the most significant defection yet. He's young, articulate, moderate and would make a great parliamentary candidate for North Down. In addition, because he is named after a foodstuff, he is very much my two and a half year old niece's favourite politician. Update: Parsley has claimed that he has 'no plans to switch' (according to a BBC report ). However he also said he would consider over the weekend whether his new job made membership of ...