Manifesto
The Following was our Electoral Address for the Assembly Elections in 2006
New Politics for a New Northern Ireland.
This is what we intend to do:
Our 10 top election commitments
Protecting our grammar schools and keeping academic selection
Improving schools that are failing to deliver
Giving more power over NHS priorities to doctors and nurses and scrapping red tape and bureaucratic targets
Taking immediate action to limit the unfairness of Labour’s rates system
Thoroughly reviewing the entire system of local taxation
Rigorous regulation of the water industry and a faster move to domestic metering so people pay only for what they use
Setting up an independent environmental watchdog to drive up environmental standards throughout NI
Making the Assembly deliver value for money
Making Northern Ireland the best place in the UK to do business and creating a business start culture
Helping to create a society where people feel more enabled to make changes for good
A Party for All Our People
The Conservative Party is the only national political party that organises and contests elections in Northern Ireland. Our candidates are people who believe that if Northern Ireland is to progress its people need to take part in a shared future. We believe that all our people - people of all faiths and none, regardless of income, sex or sexuality, age or the colour of their skin – can contribute and play a part in this new Northern Ireland.
The Conservatives represent new politics for a new Northern Ireland. We want this place to be peaceful, of course, but also prosperous, with excellent top-performing schools, wonderful health-care provision and fast growing businesses. We want to make Northern Ireland an example of what’s possible if we work together.
Our Community – Taking Responsibility
David Cameron in his Conservative Party Conference speech talked about government empowering and supporting the community rather than always directing or telling people what to do. This approach to doing things should apply to Northern Ireland – and we’re here to help. We want to nurture talent, community mindedness, and co-operation.
Time to Move On
Our view is that we need to move on. We need, as a region of the United Kingdom, to start focusing on real issues that matter to people here.
Time is critical. Nine years have been lost while the republican movement made a begrudging journey from terrorism to acceptance of normal democratic conventions. Meanwhile the other parties have bickered and squabbled over the same old ground.
We have shown that we can make change. We have worked hard at Westminster to curb the worst excesses of Labour policy here. Now it’s time for us to start playing our part in the Assembly. Our candidates are fit for the job. Nearly all are successful business people who love to roll their sleeves up and get stuck in. Let them help get the Assembly working again.
And, never forget, your Labour direct rule ministers do not seek your vote nor care what you think. We do. We are the only party of the whole United Kingdom. And we are the only party for all the people of Northern Ireland.
Vote Conservative 1
New Politics for a New Northern Ireland.
As all these new taxes are based on the value of our homes and not on the average wage in N.I.why can someone not see the house owner has no control over costs of property and wages have not increased as the UK Mainland. We would like to have a reasonable standard of living and not have the last pound squeezed out of our pockets to pay for over 30 years of neglect.
Are David Cameron, and the Conservative Party genuinely confused or just cynically trying to mislead the public, potential members and their core members over their mistaken policy shift on academic selection and grammar schools? The N.I. Conservatives report Boris Johnson’s support for academic selection throughout the UK and the party’s support for grammar schools in Northern Ireland in particular but Conservative central party does not support new grammar schools or expansion of existing grammars. If there is no support for the 11 plus by Tories throughout the UK yet the 11 plus is used in Northern Ireland and Kent can Cameron or others explain how their double-speak and confused position can be reconciled prior to any election?, Does Dave intend to replace academic selection with social selection? If not can he describe the method to be used to determine admission to selective schools?
Stephen you are probably on the wrong site to be making these comments. Conservative Party policy for NI is clear: we support the maintenance of academic selection and the replacement of the current 11+ test with a system deemed best by the selecting schools (probably based on computer based adaptive testing - as favoured by the AQE). The situation in England is very different from here. Most parts of England have a comprehensive based system. In that context it would be better to reintroduce the concept of ’selection’ through in-school streaming and greater opting out of local authority control by a greater number of schools. I also understand (but you’d need to take this up with Michael Gove) that in areas where there are grammar schools and selection more grammar schools can be built if that is what the local areas need and can afford.