A statement by John McCallister MLA, resigning as N21 Deputy Leader on Monday 7 July 2014.
In writing to the Executive of NI21, John McCallister said: “I have today informed the Chair of NI21 that with immediate effect I have resigned as Deputy Leader of the party and have relinquished my party membership. I am now no longer a member of NI21. “When I helped to establish NI21, it was my hope that the party would be a reforming presence in Northern Ireland politics. When writing the party’s values, I envisioned a civic, pro-union, moderate centre-right party, committed to normalising politics.
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John McCallister Independent MLA, speaking as a former deputy leader of NI21, at the inaugural conference in the Europa Hotel in 2013.[/caption]
“Through NI21 I have had the privilege of meeting with so many people who want for nothing more than to improve Northern Ireland; to contribute to a more productive, more harmonious society here. Their energy and desire to bring about real change here has been an inspiration and I remain deeply appreciative for the efforts of all the members and candidates of NI21. “But where the party may have been successful as an ideal and a movement, it failed as an organisation. This is not the time for recriminations, but it is with very great sadness that we all must arrive at the stark conclusion that the NI21 is no longer viable as the proper vehicle for change. This is a matter of deepest regret for me as a founder of the party.” He added: “I remain loyal not only to the ideals of NI21 but also to the staff whom I have worked with over the past number of months. Because of this, and to meet my duty of care to these colleagues, I have met with both the Speaker of the Assembly and the Assembly Standards Commission in regards to recent events. I have stressed to the Speaker the urgent need for the Assembly to put in place mechanisms to more fully protect the interests of those staff who, while paid by the Assembly, are employed by individual MLAs. I have also referred recent allegations to the Standards Commissioner as this, I feel, is the most prudent and appropriate course of action at this time. “I would like to thank all those – in particular my constituents in South Down – who have wished me well amidst the difficulties of the recent weeks. It is now my intention to sit in the Assembly as an Independent Unionist for South Down. I have informed the Speaker that, as of today, I am an Independent Unionist in the Northern Ireland Assembly. “My focus will be on representing my constituents, forwarding my Private Member’s Bill for the creation of an Opposition in Stormont, and being a voice for a civic, inclusive, pro-Union politics.”
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John McCallister Says His Values Are Still The Same As When He Entered Politics
Speaking to Down News, John McCallister explained that his values are no different than when he went in to politics in 2007 and ran with the UUP. He said: “Fundamentally I believe in a pro-Union middle ground position which includes all sections of society. We must get beyond the ‘us and them’ politics we are still bound to. Politics in Northern Ireland has to be modernised if all of the people who live here are to benefit.
“Senator Mitchell said prior to the Good Friday Agreement that we must change out mindsets if we are to progess out of the Troubles. For many this is very difficult. We need to move to a world of normalised politics and after 16 years from the Good Friday Agreement you’d think this would have happened. We need others to buy into the idea of change. We need to build on a Northern Irish identity. There has to be a degree of shared responsibility by all if our political system is to evolve to meet our needs in the future. We need to embrace change.
“Stormont is just not delivering and we simply need to reform the institutions so that ordinary people can enjoy better local services such as hospitals, schools etc. I have always campaigned about normalising society.
“Ninety per cent of the my values and ideas I had were what went into NI21. Now I will be working for the people of South Down as an Independent pro-Unionist MLA. I have excellent support across the communities. I will continue my work on the Assembly Finance Committee and will work at my Private Members Bill to help reform the Assembly. There is no real opposition in the Assembly and it has to evolve to meet the needs of the future.
“We live in changing times and even Scotland could go independent in its referendum challenging the very basis of the Union. We do need a debate in Northern Ireland about our governance and its future role. It has to evolve to meet our needs or it will be failing.”
John McCallister is now settled into his role as an independent MLA serving his constituents of South Down. He may have had a tumultuous ride through his years in politics coming through the UUP and NI21, but he has kept true to his original values.
Whilst many political pundits have written his political career off saying he would never survive the hiatus of NI21, it is becoming apparent that he is content to continue his work for his constituents to the best of his ability, and he is still to campaign for a reformed Assembly.
His strength of character will see him through the current difficulty as he embraces life as an independent. He does not see himself as a lone voice in a wilderness. John McCallister has much support across Northern Ireland for his call to reform the institutions.
Alistair Straney Resigns From NI21
Below is an extraction of the text of the letter sent to NI21 from Rowalene District Electoral Area candidate Alistair Straney formally resigning from the NI21 Executive and the Party. It reflects the troubled internal life of NI21. Alistair Straney has indicated that he is very disappointed at the outcome of NI21 as a fledgling political party, but has vowed that he will continue to work in the community.
He said: “… You and the rest of the Executive were not dealing with the real issues which needed to be addressed at that time. Of particular relevance were the serious allegations in relation to the Leader… “I found myself disapproving and disagreeing with any of the actions being taken by the Executive and most critically, I disapproved of your stance in relation to the Carecall report… “Throughout my brief time on the Executive I felt intimidated by you and my executive colleagues; a fact I raised with Adam Murray and then you on at least one occasion. It was obvious that I was not being included in every executive discussion and I can only assume that this was because I represented South Down and you saw me as not being fully committed to protecting the Leader. “Let me be clear, I did not see my role as protecting Basil McCrea. Rather, I joined the Executive in the hope that I could help address the failings of the previous Executive and help rebuild the Party after the disastrous election.
“Unfortunately, it was obvious to me that the interim Executive is continuing to operate in the same vacuum as the last and is incapable, through naivety, of seeing what is really happening in front of its eyes. “When I joined the Party it was because I was totally committed to the ethos and values upon which it was founded. Unfortunately they have since been distorted beyond recognition and the decision to re-designate as “other” two days before the election is incredibly difficult to comprehend. I have said this to Basil McCrea many times since this decision was taken, without consulting with members and candidates, and I genuinely see this as the smoke screen it was. “I will be making a public statement regarding my resignation as I feel I owe it to the people who came out and voted for me. I gave them assurances that the Party would sort itself out and that NI21 was something to still believe in. Unfortunately I cannot now give them that assurance as I have no confidence in the Party leadership and the direction in which it is being taken. “It is for all of the reasons stated above that I am resigning.”
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