Anna Lo and the Alliance Party

Alliance launches campaign saying 'best chance ever to elect non-tribal voice'

16/04/10

News Image

The Alliance Party has held its candidate launch for the Westminster election at City East Business Centre in East Belfast saying people want politicians to focus on creating jobs and protecting services instead of creating damaging tribal pacts. The campaign was launched by David Ford and Naomi Long, and both emphasised the need for a non-tribal voice at Westminster, and the fact that this is the best chance people have in a generation to elect Alliance MPs.

David Ford said: "These are exciting times for Alliance. We are back in the heart of government in Northern Ireland and we have the best chance in a generation to gain representation at Westminster level.

We need non-tribal politicians at Westminster so that the focus can be placed on the most important issues, like our economy and protecting vital frontline services. The people in the constituency we stand in today put Naomi Long ahead of the Ulster Unionist Leader Reg Empey in the last Assembly election. He has now run away to South Antrim. In this election we can go one better and take this seat.”

Naomi Long said: "Alliance is the only alternative to the tired tribal approach which has failed Northern Ireland for so long. Alliance means positive politics and a constructive approach to solving the problems facing Northern Ireland. Carve-up politics and sectarian pacts damage the region and prevent elections being about the real issues people care about. What people want is strong leadership for the whole community that makes things work.

After all the scandals at Westminster and closer to home, people are tired of the politics of self-interest. They want people who work for them and in the public interest.

We face a serious challenge in our public finances, and we need to be focused on growing the cake through innovation and creativity, so that everyone benefits, rather than carving it up between orange and green. We need to tackle the costs of division to protect public services and to build a stronger, more dynamic, more united community. United we can do it.

This has to be a positive election. People will not tolerate parties playing tribal games while jobs are being lost across Northern Ireland on a daily basis. The current tough economic times mean that people are more interested in parties that have coherent policies, instead of those banging the tribal drum.

This is a new era for Alliance. We have taken up the most difficult post in government and we are a party that is growing in every election. Alliance is all about delivery - delivery of new community relations strategy - the first time that a devolved government has done so here. It's also about us delivering justice at the Assembly.

The potential exists now for a new era of delivery for Northern Ireland. With the positive and constructive voice of David Ford in the Executive people can be confident he will make government work effectively for all. The people of Northern Ireland deserve delivery instead of deadlock."

People have a great opportunity in this election to send non-tribal voices to Westminster. Northern Ireland needs to be represented positively on the biggest stage in the UK, and Alliance will work for everyone to create jobs and safeguard vital services."