ALLIANCE PARTY ANNUAL CONFERENCE:ALLIANCE LEADER David Ford delivered his keynote address at his party's annual conference on Saturday against growing party confidence and expectation of significant gains in the May Assembly elections.
Mr Ford told the conference at the Dunadry Hotel in Co Antrim that Alliance looked forward to increasing its number of Assembly members, which stands at seven, in the election.
Up to 300 people attended the conference buoyed particularly by the success of Naomi Long in taking DUP leader Peter Robinson’s East Belfast seat in last May’s Westminster elections, and also boosted by defections to the party.
Among the delegates in the Dunadry Hotel were Harry Hamilton, a Freddie Mercury impersonator who performed well in the general election last May but failed to win a seat for the Ulster Unionist Party in Upper Bann. Other prominent defectors are Paula Bradshaw, also from the UUP, and Oran Keenan from the SDLP.
Party strategists believe a new political mood exists that will benefit the party in the summer election. The ambition is to win between seven and 12 seats.
Senior sources said they hoped to hold their seven seats in East Belfast, South Antrim, South Belfast, Lagan Valley, North Down, Strangford and East Antrim. They believe they have a genuine chance of additional seats in East Belfast and North Down and are also targeting seats in North Belfast, Upper Bann and East Derry.
Mr Ford told the conference he had “signed more letters welcoming new members in the last year than ever before”. He said they came “from all parts of Northern Ireland and are fully representative of the whole community”.
“Most have not been involved in politics at all, but the Alliance message is reaching people; our track record is convincing people and our vision is appealing to people as never before,” he said.
“This party has always been big enough to embrace diversity, whether of age, gender, class, race, religion or orientation and every member has a part to play.”
Mr Ford, who is Minister for Justice, said Alliance was bringing about real change. Not only was the party in the Northern Executive, he said, but it had compelled First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness to introduce a policy of tackling sectarianism.
He said the policy was unsatisfactory and needed to be overhauled but nonetheless it would never have happened without the influence and pressure from Alliance.
“The people who are joining Alliance, from all kinds of backgrounds, are showing that change is possible. The fact that we are bringing forward real reforms to our justice system, tackling and delivering on the big issues, shows that change is possible.”
Mr Ford said Alliance was leading change. “Last year, we looked forward with confidence and we achieved our highest expectations and we put down markers for the future,.
“This year, we look forward with determination – determination to work for change, and to deliver change. We look forward with determination to win more votes, and win more seats. We look forward, with determination, to growing the movement and building the momentum for change.”
