THE Northern Ireland Assembly Minister of Justice and Leader of the Alliance David Ford is on the Isle of Man this weekend as guest of the Liberal Vannin Party in the run up to the General Election.
He has conducted a number of media interviews whilst on the Island, but the main purpose has been to meet the LVP candidates for the House of Keys election in September.
Having seen Northern Ireland go through huge political turmoil, David Ford, 60, is well known for his commitment to the Good Friday Agreement to bring about a non sectarian society.
He is described as having “expertise in nuts and bolts electioneering” and is keen to pass on any advice he can to the fast expanding Liberal Vannin Party which is so far fielding eight candidates in the General Election, and possibly more.
“Obviously, I believe in party politics but in the case of the LIberal Vannin Party I believe this is not a case of simply fixing potholes. There needs to be a vision for the future of the Isle of Man - a long term vision which underpins a set of values and reforms which the people will understand.”
Speaking last night at the Niarbyl Bay Restaurant where he had dinner with the LVP candidates and their partners, Mr Ford said it was clear that the Isle of Man was facing exactly the same economic difficulties as the rest of the world and warned of the danger of “doing things the way they have always been done”.
He added, “This is not a convincing argument. We all need to participate together in the acceptance of reforms. A party with views on reforms can achieve much more than a group of like-minded individuals . . . if a group of four or five from one party were to be elected with a platform of reforms I believe it would make a real difference.”
David Ford has been the Alliance’s member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Antrim since 1998, for South Antrim. He has been Minister of Justice since April 2010.
A highly active politician and one of the most vociferous supporters of the principle of partnership government, David Ford has campaigned within the Assembly and outside it for the building of a united community and has opposed actions which have reinforced divisions. He now leads a team of nine 'United Community' MLAs at Stormont.
He has become known for his campaigning to improve the Northern Ireland rail network. He also has an extensive knowledge of rural affairs, both regarding agriculture and the wider social issues.
Within the environmental field, David Ford has campaigned on nature conservation, protection of hares, planning and waste management issues. He has strongly supported the introduction of alternative renewable energy.
David Ford's Isle of Man visit continues today (Saturday) with a visit to Braddan Commissioners' office in Union Mills where he will speak on "how to run a winning campaign" before he flies back to Belfast later this afternoon.
