Bob McCartney: As a former North Down MP I believe Tim Collins has the public profile and proven talents to serve the people of the constituency

​As a life-long unionist, my purpose in writing this article is to assist the voters of North Down in their assessment of the best pro-Union candidate available to vote for in the current election of their member of Parliament.

The people of North Down are served politically at two different levels, local and national, and each demands skills of a very different nature, writes Bob McCartney. The ideal candidate would encompass the talents of both Easton and Collins but the question is whose strengths are best suited to be MP

​There are two essential elements in making that choice. First, who will most strongly present and defend the maintenance of Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom; and second, who will most ably represent the national interests of the the electors as citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

It is important to realise that the people of North Down are served politically at two different levels, local and national, and each demands abilities and skills of a very different nature and knowledge of affairs of a distinct kind. I will return to these issues.

On the issue of the Union, each of the main candidates - Messrs Stephen Farry, Alex Easton and Tim Collins - offer varying degrees of support. Mr Farry’s Alliance Party started off life in the 1970s as decidedly pro-Union, whatever its aspirations for a more sensitive approach to cross-community relations. Over time, their clear support for the Union has markedly declined.

Today the Union issue is scarcely ever addressed and at best the party’s position on it could be described as that of an agnostic. Many unionists feel that Alliance is moving steadily towards a united Ireland policy. As Northern Ireland’s ties to the rest of the United Kingdom are being undone by Brexit’s protocol and unionists’ fears are increasing, the defence of the Union is not even mentioned in Mr Farry’s postal election circular.

The return of Ulster Unionist voters who migrated to Alliance in the absence of a party candidate of their own at the last general election might unseat Mr Farry if unionists unite behind the most suitable pro-Union candidate for the office of MP.

Both Easton and Collins would claim to be pro-Union candidates but if the Union is to be defended in the House Of Commons one might argue that Collins, with his national and international profile, is more likely to gain a hearing in that arena. As a dedicated soldier and former colonel of a British regiment it is more probable he will be seen as a defender of national unity.

There is a very old saying that one should select horses for courses depending on their ability to face the fences they will probably encounter, and in this regard the comparable ability of Easton and Collins to perform in the Commons bears examination.

Alex Easton has an excellent reputation as a local and community politician. Most of the problems of constituents which he has helped to resolve are of a finite and factual kind readily understood and for the most part capable with his assistance of a solution. He is familiar and confident with the personnel and the workings of local departments and the right people to seek help from.

What he is not familiar with are problems at the level of national and international gravity where solutions are complex, ranging from climate change to Russian aggression in Ukraine and from the economy to national defence spending. In such areas and others he may feel uncomfortable as being outside his knowledge and experience. Moreover as an independent non-party member, he will find it difficult to obtain speaking time let alone make any impact.

Collins may not have great experience of the practical matters which Alex Easton could solve and would at least for a time be an indifferent local representative. His skills and talents lie in very different spheres.

He is a very experienced manager, decision-maker, and leader who gives confidence to those he leads. One does not become the colonel of a British infantry regiment unless one demonstrates these qualities. On retirement from the army he has proved to be a successful businessman and high level security adviser.

An assured and confident public speaker, he would not be overawed in a Commons debate. His knowledge of military and defence provisions would make him an automatic choice for the House Defence Committee and he would be confident in Commons debates.

The perfect candidate would encompass the talents of both Easton and Collins but the question for voters is which candidate’s strengths best meet the requirements of a member of Parliament. The downside is that if Easton is elected the constituents of North Down who paradoxically need him most will be deprived of the services he provides as a local representative. In return, they will gain an MP who may feel he lacks the skills and knowledge that would make him a success. He would discover that for an independent MP the House of Commons is a lonely and intimidating place. Without the support of party colleagues to show him the ropes, the major party whips will deprive him of speaking time in favour of their own members.

What is the rational conclusion from these considerations as to the electorate’s choice of a unionist candidate? In the last general election, Alex Easton at his third attempt lost to Stephen Farry by some 3,000 votes. This time with a high profile Ulster Unionist candidate in the mix his chance of success will be even less. The only result may be that neither pro-Union candidate will win and the Alliance Party will retain the seat.

If Easton wins, which is unlikely, the people of North Down will have obtained an MP whose abilities are unsuited to the office of MP. In Collins they will have lost in the process the possible services of an articulate candidate who has the public profile and proven talents to serve them with distinction in the cause of the Union.

Unionists must get out and vote, and in doing so use their minds and common sense and not their sentiment in choosing the right horse for the right course.

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Bob McCartney is a former North Down MP and former leader of the UK Unionist Party

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