Lord Weir: Only one unionist has the breadth of support to beat Stephen Farry in North Down, and it’s Alex Easton

​In 2022, I joined Parliament as a Member of the House of Lords. Post-election, along with our newly elected MP, I will be the only other person from North Down in either House at Westminster. It was a new and daunting challenge.

Independent unionist Alex Easton is battling to win the North Down seat in next week’s election. Only Easton has the breadth of support to seriously challenge and unseat Stephen Farry, writes Lord Weir

​However, one thing became very clear to me very quickly. Direct experience as an elected representative really counts at Westminster. In the Lords there are many peers whose background reflects different career paths.

In many ways that is the purpose of the Upper House, and that is deliberately reflected in the appointment process for the Lords. But in the Commons, it is an essential effective prerequisite to do the best possible job as a constituency MP.

We shouldn’t be surprised at that. In what other job would that even be unusual? A Board of Governors would never consider appointing a school principal who hadn’t done a day’s teaching and if I suggested becoming a doctor or joining the army, and believed I could perform surgery or command a regiment on day one it would be considered ludicrous.

Alex brings over two decades of direct experience in the assembly, where he is the longest serving MLA in North Down history, and on the council of serving the people of North Down, serving over 23 years in total. He has the experience to adapt to his new role from day one.

The role of an MP is also to serve their constituents and to deliver for them on their problems on a daily basis. This role has been somewhat derided and sneered at during this campaign, but it is vital. Alex has an unparalleled record in this department. He is approachable and dedicated. Parliament is much more than simply a 19th Century debating society, with prizes for contributions. It is about resolving people’s practical problems.

Thirdly, I make no apologies for wanting a unionist to represent me. North Down firmly supports remaining in the United Kingdom, and I want the voice of the vast majority of people in North Down to reflect that. I do not question the unionist bona fides of Alex’s UUP rival, but undoubtedly our outgoing MP is ambiguous and agnostic on the Union, and Alliance, unlike their old moderate liberal persona, represent a very left-wing perspective on a wide range of social issues. That is not the voice I want representing me and my fellow North Down citizens at Westminster.

Finally, I want a unionist candidate who can actually win. Without winning the seat all this debate is meaningless. As unionists, we need to wake up to electoral reality. We're not in the same position as 40, 30, 20 or even 10 years ago. The days where unionists on polling day could simply pick their favoured unionist candidate from two or three contenders and that person would simply sail to victory are over. To think otherwise indulges in fantasy.

In this election in Northern Ireland, only at most two constituencies will have unionist candidates filling the top two positions and North Down isn’t one of them. That is the cold hard reality, that all of us who support the link with the UK remaining have to face up to.

Election campaigns from all sides are filled with spin and optimistic predictions. However, once you strip away the spin, facts and figures don’t lie. Critics of Alex point out that in 2019 he fell short by nearly 3,000 votes but omit to also say that the Ulster Unionist candidate fell short by over 13,000 votes.

In the 2022 Stormont election, Alex topped the poll with 9,500, with those parties backing him obtaining nearly 9,900. The UUP got over a quarter of that total. On each occasion the combined unionist vote was much greater than the Alliance share, but on both occasions, they emerged as the largest party because of a divided unionist vote. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

As voters, we cannot afford to treat elections in a casual and indulgent manner, the political equivalent of fantasy football. Stephen Farry of Alliance will inevitably be in the top two when results are announced for North Down, but the facts bear out two other assertions. Only one unionist challenger has the direct unquestionable experience to be an MP for North Down from July 2024. Only one unionist has the breadth of support to seriously challenge and beat him. That candidate is Alex Easton.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme is a former education minister