Critics may brand The Democratic Party Unionist Party (DUP) as a ruthless amalgam of driving ambition, internecine rivalries and disposable political principle but they should also appreciate the central driving force that binds this party together and which makes it so electorally successful– the insatiable lust for power.
Having spent years in the shadows of the Ulster Unionist Party, the DUP learnt their lessons well, importing fresh talent from their bigger rival and synthesising these with an ability to retain a solid base of those who worshipped at the Paisley alter. Post St. Andrews Agreement , the DUP has been slowly morphing into a party that is well suited to becoming the undertakers of the Union, albeit it in a red white and blue coffin. Little wonder Peter Robinson openly talks of being the last Unionist First Minister. However I believe it is more accurate to call Mr Robinson the first post-Unionist First Minister.
Why? The answer lies in the DUP’s embrace of a petty little Ulster Nationalist mindset that echoes that of the SNP. Rather than focus on our East-West links to the rest of the UK, it increasingly operates on a North-South agenda, protective of the £100m pa North-South bodies it once castigated. It has also supported a University Education policy that actively discriminates against our fellow Brits in England, Scotland and Wales, whilst providing favourable financial arrangements for students from the Republic. The concomitant greening of University life here holds no obvious concerns for the DUP who sell this lamentable deal on the basis it “keeps fees down” for local students.
And herein lies the rub. “Ourselves alone” is the shared future for Sinn Fein AND the DUP. It is parochial mindset that is predicated on suckering the local electorate into thinking that devolution is good news even when all the metrics show otherwise. Four years of DUP hegemony at Stormont has delivered soaring unemployment, record insolvencies, sustained business failure, chaos in Education, justice devolved to a puppet in the form of David Ford (Who sets out to remove all the symbols of the Crown and Britishness, as required by his Sinn Fein masters) and we are told that we have never had it so good thanks to the “stability” that the DUP has delivered. For stability substitute inertia and you are get closer to the mark!
The DUP has a brass neck. Not only has it been successful at selling a record of political failure as a success but it is also able to break electoral promises with impunity. Before the 2011 Assembly election, you could not stop the DUP talking about the momentous Corporation Tax changes it would make post-election. Once re-elected, any such CT changes were being pushed out to potentially the next election. The game-changer became a no-show.
DUP leader Peter Robinson looks to Alex Salmond as his political exemplar. Blame Westminster for all that goes wrong, curry the favour of specific self interest groups, and work towards a Northern Ireland increasingly apart from the rest of the UK. Tamed by Sinn Fein, the DUP is less of a lion and more of a pussycat, rolling over each time Sinn Fein demands. All of this makes it lethal to the longevity of the Union with the rest of the UK but essential to a new union with the Irish Republic.
David Vance is a political writer, commentator appearing on TV and Radio and author of “Unionism Decayed.” He was Deputy Leader of the UK Unionist Party and Economics spokesman for Traditional Unionist Voice but is no longer involved in party politics.
3 comments
J.C. Simsson says:
November 24, 2011 at 12:47 pm (UTC 1)
You are a serial loser at the polls who spends much of his spare time (which you clearly have a lot of) whittering on about the failings of the DUP, whilst offering absolutely no viable 2011 alternative to us unionists. The fact remains that the DUP safeguarded the union against the possibility of a greener direct rule with further all ireland strings attached in the form of ‘plan b’ in 2006 and delivered to us locally accountable assembly and ministers. Since then, we have actually had locally elected politicians and a local administration. Unlike previous attempts, the DUP was able to force SF into actively support policing and the rule of law and although Stormont has been far from perfect (gridlock for example,) the veto that the DUP has as largest party has been successful in stopping a number of greener initiatives that lets face it, would have passed through Westminster under direct rule without much notice. The facts are that gridlock aside, this is a far better option for us than direct rule. Yes, the DUP is clearly an ambitious and powerful local political entity, and although critics such as you will say that it is now a ‘Northern ireland Party’ with a Northern ireland mindset, yet these very critics are unable to point to a better solution financially or otherwise for Northern Ireland. You yourself have once again retreated to the sidelines after realising that your brand of unionism was not what the electorate wanted. Under the DUP, the union is secure and the threat of a United Ireland is now dead. Under others, we simply wouldn’t have a clue where we are. Mr Vance, waken up and smell the coffee, it is 2011 and we are comfortably in the union, the PIRA and the threat of a united Ireland are gone and SF are now constitututional nationalists. Take the poor and dillusional version of a 1970′s Paisley; Jim Allister and jump into a delorean straight back to 1975.
David Vance says:
November 24, 2011 at 6:46 pm (UTC 1)
Hi there
Thanks for the informed comment.
I am always entertained by DUPes who conjure up the fearsome but alas imaginary Plan B that forced you to betray your promises. Why not just be honest and admit that political principles for the DUP are disposable.
With record unemployment, record waiting lists, record bankruptcies, chaos in our classrooms, I don’t quite see where the “delivery” has been of which you boast but readers can make their own mind up.
With the threat of a United Ireland being now dead, as you put it, curious that Mr Robinson speaks of himself as the last unionist First Minister. Try and synchronise your cheer-leading for Vichy Unionism and spare me your ad hominems.
Admin says:
November 24, 2011 at 8:11 pm (UTC 1)
JC Simsson,
The ad hominem attack at the beginning of your comment has now been removed- I would ask you to check over our comments policy for the reason why.