Hague: Tories to avoid sectarian politics in the North

The Conservative Party does not fear becoming mired in sectarian divisions in the North by fighting elections in the region, the UK's Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said today.

Mr Hague addressed the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) annual conference in Belfast and hailed plans for the parties to stand candidates on a joint ticket in the next general election.

But before giving a speech that underlined his commitment to the Union, he also said the political alliance with unionists would not unduly influence the approach of a future Conservative administration to the peace process.

The Conservative Party has said it wants to transcend religious divisions in the North, but faces the hurdle of having allied itself to a party whose membership and support is drawn almost entirely from the Protestant community.

Mr Hague insisted, however, that future candidates would be drawn from Protestant and Catholic backgrounds, offering a genuine break with the North’s divided past.

“We won’t be getting mired in sectarian politics,” he said.

“We will respect that fact that so many of the discussions taking place in Northern Ireland are for the Northern Ireland parties.

“But we are giving people the opportunity to take part in that issues-based politics at the United Kingdom level now.

“We have to do that with a party that shares some of our overall philosophy on how government should be conducted and the great majority of people in the Ulster Unionist Party are of that Conservative disposition...they are our natural partners.”

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has claimed concerns exist among some Northern Ireland Conservatives over the Ulster Unionist Party’s historic ties with the Orange Order.

Orange Order members are sworn to oppose Catholicism, though they are told that that doctrinal opposition must not lead to the mistreatment of individual Catholics.

Asked if Orange Order members would be effectively banned from standing on the joint UUP/Conservative ticket to help attract support from Catholic voters, Mr Hague said selection was an issue for Northern Ireland party officials.

Asked for his own opinion, Mr Hague said: “I will support their opinion.”

He deferred the question to Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Patterson, who said: “We want the best people. Our whole intention is to move Northern Ireland on, so we have the best candidates regardless of their ethnicity or religion.”

Mr Hague said future Northern Ireland MPs who helped shape Conservative party policy on social and economic issues would be doing so for the benefit of all.

He added: “We have to find a way through all these things but nevertheless the difficulties should not put us off trying to give people a chance to take part in politics in Northern Ireland, but at the United Kingdom level.”

He said candidates would be chosen on the basis of their ability and predicted the UUP/Conservative line-up could include candidates drawn from both Northern Ireland’s Protestant and Catholic traditions.

Mr Hague underlined his commitment to the Union between the North and the UK at today’s conference, while his party leader David Cameron has also declared his support for strengthening UK links.

But nationalist politicians have warned that as the North emerges from decades of violent conflict, is it dangerous for a future Conservative Party government to be so closely aligned with one side of the region’s political divide.

Mr Hague said, however, that a Conservative Government would uphold the political agreements that have been so painstakingly built-up in Northern Ireland.

“This (UUP pact) should not be seen as taking up a sectarian position,” he said. “We will want to deal with all parties and always make sure we come to the correct view, irrespective of party alignments.”