We
analyse the positions of Northern Ireland's political
parties on Europe, as they ask for your vote.
As
we enter the fray that is the 2005 general election,
it is instructive to examine the policies and positions
of the North's political parties to matters European.
This is an initial overview, based on existing positions
and previous manifestos. If the parties amend or
add detail to their positions on Europe, we will
comment in appropriate detail.
Realistically,
however, Europe will not feature as a major election
issue. Indeed, the issue of actually existing Europe
barely featured in last year's elections to the
European Parliament. There was much made of myths,
but little based on the facts about Europe. As a
general rule, the further from reality, the more
europhobic the views expressed.
It
follows that pro-European voters should take the
opportunities available between now and election
day, May 5th, to challenge the candidates on the
reasonableness of their views on the EU. Any reader
who wishes to find out more about the arguments
for Northern Ireland playing its part in Europe
can contact Britain in Europe's Belfast office at
the appropriate email address.
There
are five major parties that will have candidates
in most of the North's 18 Westminster seats. Their
European positions are as follows.
Democratic
Unionists
The DUP had five MPs elected in 2001, and gained
a sixth when Jeffrey Donaldson defected from the
Ulster Unionists in early 2004. They are determined
to consolidate their position as the dominant voice
of unionism by making a strong challenge in all
five of the seats held by the UUP. In particular,
the DUP are chasing hard at the heels of Roy Beggs
in East Antrim, David Burnside in South Antrim and
David Trimble in Upper Bann. However, if those three
seats are, it will be a case of three europhobic
politicians taken by, respectively, Sammy Wilson,
the Rev William McCrea and David Simpson replacing
three europhobic politicians (For further details,
see below).
The
DUP's stance on the euro and the EU Constitutional
Treaty (and, indeed, membership of the EU) was expressed
by their MEP Jim Allister last January:
"It
is not, nor is it an end in itself, rather for the
Euro fanatics who drive the project the constitution
is but a start towards the ultimate subjugation
of all national powers. The question for each nation
is whether they are prepared to go down that road.
The choice is between a Europe of co-operating sovereign
nation states or a Europe that is itself a superstate."
The
voting record and public stances of DUP MPs tells
a sorry tale of consistent hostility to the European
project. It came as no surprise that DUP MPs voted
against the recent Bill on the Treaty in the House
of Commons when one considers their voting record
in the past.
Party
leader Dr Ian Paisley has made n secret of his distrust
of the EU, and has never hesitated in saying so,
and voting accordingly.
"I
was never a Common Marketeer, and I never will be"
(Hansard, 21 November 1991, col. 486).
Voted
against the decision on principle for Britain to
join the European Communities, 28 October 1971.
Opposed
continued membership of the EEC in the Referendum
of June 1975 with statements such as "The Virgin
Mary is the Madonna of the Common Market."
"The
European Union is a beast ridden by the harlot
Catholic Church, conspiring to create a Europe
controlled by the Vatican." (Jon Ronson,
Them: Adventures with Extremists, 2001).
"Our
membership [of the EU] has weakened the economy
of the United Kingdom. Britain has suffered in
its trading activities. The precious money that
we pour into the Common Market budget would be
better disbursed, by whatever Government are in
power, in this country" (Hansard, 21 November
1991, col. 486).
Voted
against 3rd Reading of the Maastricht Treaty Bill,
20 May 1993.
Voted
for Iain Duncan Smith's bill to curb the powers
of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), 23 April
1996.
Voted
against 3rd Reading of the Nice Treaty Bill, 17
October 2001.
"I
believe that it would be in the best interests of
farmers if the common agricultural policy were scrapped"
(Hansard, 14 February 1991, col. 1047).
"We
should realise that the common agricultural policy
was wrong from the beginning. I campaigned against
entry to Europe" (Hansard, 4 December 1990,
col. 216).
DUP
Deputy leader Peter Robinson has dutifully followed
his leader:
Voted
for Iain Duncan Smith's bill to curb the powers
of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), 23 April
1996.
Voted
against 2nd Reading of the Amsterdam Treaty Bill,
12 November 1997.
Signed
a full-page advertisement in The Times and
the Guardian sponsored by Paul Sykes's British
Democracy Campaign, which called for a referendum
on Britain's continued membership of the European
Union, 16 May 2001.
Patron
and occasional contributor, far-right Right Now!
magazine since 1995. Recently dismissed criticism
from Sir Reg Empey after the magazine ran a sympathetic
interview with Nick Griffin of the British National
Party.
Voted
against 3rd Reading of the Nice Treaty Bill, 17
October 2001.
The
DUP's other MPs from their 2001 intake have opposed
the Nice treaty, the euro and the Constitutional
Treaty. Their 2004 addition, Jeffrey Donaldson,
has a similarly dismal record. In addition, he recently
addressed the Bruges Group, an extreme collection
of English EU-haters and worshippers of Baroness
Thatcher, who affect to forget their heroine's crucial
role in forging the single European market in the
1995 treaty, not to mention the 1985 Anglo-Irish
Agreement.
The
Ulster Unionists
The UUP hold five seats at present. Three of those
seats are in the sights of the DUP's snatch squad.
It is instructive to examine the records of two
of the troubled MPs, David Trimble and David Burnside.
Trimble's
recent Commons vote opposing the EU Constitutional
Treaty fits easily into the pattern of his thought
and actions:
Voted
against 3rd Reading of the Maastricht Treaty Bill,
20 May 1993.
Voted
for Iain Duncan Smith's bill to curb the powers
of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), 23 April
1996.
Sponsored
Bill Cash's Referendum Bill, which provided for
the holding of a referendum on the United Kingdom's
continuing membership of the European Union, 11
June 1996.
Sponsored
Teresa Gorman's Referendum Bill, which provided
for the holding a referendum on the United Kingdom's
membership of the European Union, 21 January 1997.
Voted
against 2nd Reading of Amsterdam Treaty Bill, 12
November 1997.
David
Burnside is equally consistent: He voted against
3rd Reading of the Nice Treaty Bill as well as opposing
the euro and the Constitutional Treaty. Roy Beggs
has a similar voting record, as does the outgoing
MP for South Belfast, the Rev Martin Smyth.
The
remaining UUP seats, south Belfast and North Down,
are in for a severe contestation from the DUP, but
seem at present to be safer than Upper Bann and
East and South Antrim. The UUP candidate in South
Belfast, Michael McGimpsey, has not made his position
clear, but is thought to be less hardline than the
Rev Smyth. The sitting North Down MP, Lady Sylvia
Hermon is understood to be less than favourably
disposed to the present UUP policy towards Europe.
Sinn
Fein
SF passed a motion at their recent ard fheis pledging
them to campaign against the Constitutional Treaty.
Their Dublin MEP, Mary Lou McDonald, told the ard
fheis:
"Make
no mistake, the EU Constitution will provide for
the single biggest advance towards the creation
of a European super-state since the beginnings of
the European project. It will lay the legal foundations
for a federal Europe and deepen the divide between
citizens and those who hold power."
Compare
and contrast with the comments above from the DUP's
Jim Allister.
SF
opposed every step towards European integration
and called for `no' votes in every referendum held
on Europe in the Republic.
SF's
four MPs abstain from Westminster, so their views
on the treaty have yet to be tested. However, SF
opposed the euro in the South when it was under
discussion, but changed party policy in 2003. SF
councillors have been active in encouraging the
setting up of `euro-friendly' shopping areas in
Strabane Newry, Derry and west Belfast.
Social
Democratic and Labour Party
The
SDLP have been constant supporters of NI playing
a full part in Europe, and the leadership shown
by John Hume has been followed keenly by Mark Durkan.
SDLP policy is outlined below:
"The
SDLP is strongly committed to full participation
in the European Union…(it) is enthusiastic
for ongoing enlargement of the European Union to
create a union of democracy, prosperity and justice
from the Baltic to the Mediterranean and from the
Atlantic to the Black Sea… (and) is fully supportive
of the Euro and demands the immediate introduction
of the Euro in the North."
The
SDLP is facing a significant challenge from SF in
Foyle, where Mark Durkan is defending the seat against
Mitchel McLaughlin. Many commentators have concluded
that SF's Conor Murphy will take the Newry/Armagh
seat previously held by Seamus Mallon, who is retiring
along with John Hume.
Eddie
McGrady is believed to be safe in South Down, and
there could be an upset in South Belfast if the
unionist vote divides evenly to let SDLP deputy
leader Alisdair McDonnell slip through the middle.
Alliance
David Ford has continued the Alliance tradition
of seeing Europe as a great opportunity for NI,
and not remotely a threat to `our way of doing things'.
Alliance policy is articulated thus:
"Alliance
should be resolved to the further development and
enlargement of the European Union. With a wider
union we can look forward to a union that is working
effectively towards a more just, prosperous and
a safer world community. A Europe that will strive
for social justice and economic opportunity world
wide, that will work to enhance the global environment.
Alliance should further be committed to a Europe
that will offer peace, stability and liberty to
those threatened by war or oppression." (motion
passed at Alliance agm, 2000)
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