North Antrim must never be voiceless again.

01 May 2010

Statement by North Antrim TUV candidate Jim Allister:-

North Antrim must never again be left voiceless in Parliament. In the last Parliament the DUP MP missed 82% of the votes, including votes to reduce the abortion limit below 24 weeks and the demand for a referendum on the disastrous Lisbon Treaty.

Having been judged the UK’s best MEP (2004-09) by the independent Taxpayers Alliance and with a 96% attendance record, this is the work ethic and commitment which I will bring to representing North Antrim in the House of Commons.

My strong political stance is well known; my principles are not for sale and I will be relentless in seeking durable, workable and democratic devolution in place of the deadlock and chronic failure of the present terrorist-inclusive executive at Stormont.

But, I don’t just care about the constitutional issues, the bread and butter issues of jobs, health and education matter greatly to me. I and my family live in North Antrim. I want the best for its people, all its people. And, if elected, I will fight tenaciously for all my constituents.

With rising unemployment, up 46% last year in North Antrim, we must build on the foundation of preserving our key employers, but also generate new small businesses, where local entrepreneurs, with loyalty and commitment to the local area, get help on a par with the energy expended on seeking foreign investment. I will use my vote in parliament to encourage a low tax, growth economy, where hard-work is rewarded and welfare freeloading discouraged.

In times of austerity front-line public services must be protected. Yes, savings must be made, but these should come from cutting out waste, such as the £100m pa we fritter away on useless north/south bodies and millions on a bloated Stormont bureaucracy, including its dozens of spin doctors and ‘special advisers’. Nurses, doctors, hospital cleaners, teachers, classroom assistants are far more important in my book than PR gurus and empire builders within the public service. Likewise, for me, seeking a proper pension for our elderly comes far above squandering scarce resources on needless Section 75 equality junkets and wasting £20 million on the Irish language.

As in Europe, I will fight hard for our vital agri-food industry. I know its needs and will not fail to champion its cause.

I will toady to no vested interest. I not only ‘know of’ what is required of an Honourable Member, but will live up to what is rightly expected of an MP, if that honour is bestowed upon me on Thursday.

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