On top of sackings and resignations, Tom Elliot also had a McGuinness row to contend with
THE ULSTER Unionist Party is trying to recover from a damaging week which saw allegations of ministerial bias, a resignation, a sacking and an internal row over whether Martin McGuinness could be the North’s next first minister.
As the UUP was trying to concentrate on the imminent Assembly election campaign, its relatively new leader Tom Elliott was attempting to cope with several problems that are putting the party under considerable stress.
Outgoing UUP Minister for Health Michael McGimpsey was accused of political bias and sectarianism after last week shelving a planned northwest cancer treatment centre based in Derry, while party deputy chairman Terry Wright resigned in protest at the Minister’s decision.
Moreover, senior members of the UUP were at the same time embroiled in a bitter and public row over whether the party should continue to focus on trying to prevent McGuinness gaining the post of first minister, should Sinn Féin win most seats in the May 5th election.
To add to the party's woes the UUP Minister for Employment and Learning, Danny Kennedy, sacked one of his key departmental specialist advisers, Dr Brian Crowe. The Minister took his decision after allegations about Dr Crowe's private life, which he denies, were published in the Belfast Telegraph. There were further allegations in yesterday's Sunday Life.
McGimpsey galvanised much nationalist, unionist and general public opposition by his decision – announced last Wednesday at the last plenary meeting of the Assembly – to put off plans to create the £60 million (€68 million) cancer treatment centre at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.
McGuinness said the decision was “shameful, political and sectarian”, and that the next Northern Executive would reverse it. Foyle MP and former SDLP leader Mark Durkan made the same charges. DUP MP and MLA for East Derry Gregory Campbell deplored the “sectarian” accusation, saying cancer affected Protestants and Catholics, but also condemned McGimpsey for abandoning the plan.
The new Fine Gael Minister for Health James O’Reilly confirmed that the Government has ringfenced €19 million for the cancer centre, based on the fact that approximately one-third of the patients attending the centre would be from Donegal and the surrounding areas.
The UUP’s deputy chairman Terry Wright, who is from Derry, said he resigned from his post as a “matter of principle”. The decision was “ill-advised and untimely” and would “impact on the lives of individuals and on research and development in this important area of science and health provision”.
Elliott issued a statement saying he too supported the cancer treatment centre, but that the Northern Executive did not provide McGimpsey’s department with sufficient finance to allow it to proceed at this time.
Problems for Elliott – who took over the party leadership last summer – and the UUP were compounded when Dr Crowe was sacked as special adviser to Kennedy.
Aside from the fallout from these controversies, Elliott also had to try to calm an internal row when party Assembly member for Strangford David McNarry clashed with fellow MLAs, UUP deputy leader John McCallister and Basil McCrea.
McNarry accused them of “sticking the knife” into the party after they said McGuinness being first minister should Sinn Féin win most seats in May would not be an issue.
He said they were “out of order” and “out of control” in appearing to challenge Elliott’s position on seeking a pact with the DUP to prevent McGuinness possibly being appointed first minister.
