Will it be better with Mike the second time around….?

I have not spoken to many UUP members about Mike Nesbitt MLA’s return as leader of the party.

What is evident is that views range from the lukewarm and “who else is there now that we are turning to individuals a second time?” to concern about his combining the position of UUP leader and the Executive role of Minister of Health.

Some of the more lukewarm suggest, without any evidence it must be said, a reluctance to give up a Ministerial salary and car. Cynicism is alive and well in the UUP and Northern Ireland. Such is the measure of disenchantment with politics and political Unionism.

This is a battle the new leader will have to confront; head on.

340,000 plus names on waiting lists; a two-tier health system, with more and more people stretching financial resources to get treatment, poor internal administration to the point of negligence, locker rooms described as patient space and problematically ethical practices define the context against which his Ministerial leadership will be judged.

Add to these, surgeries dependent on locums for sustainability, experienced consultants remarking that when they joined the NHS, they never anticipated having to work in the conditions which now pertain, the growing crisis over mental health and senior citizens, in pain, awaiting orthopaedic appointments; getting by on community care of 4 visits a day which aggregate as one hour in every twenty-four.

This is not about the Bengoa Report or reforms which are for the long-term, possibly. It is more granular and immediate than this. It is certainly not about the UUP. As the polls indicate; interest in the UUP is well down the list of concerns of the majority of voters and more importantly, non-voters.

There are too many other day-to-day issues with the NHS of higher priority than most. If he can make a success of the health portfolio the party may benefit as it has done from the sometimes-overplayed leadership of Robin Swann, MP. Many of the current issues did after all present on his watch as well as those who went before.

If he fails, there will be a negative effect. Intended or otherwise, reference to ‘collecting challenging roles’ serves only to confirm split remits. An injudicious choice of soundbite that will come to be seen as ill-advised? Only time will tell with unease not misplaced.

Members of the public are not wishing to see a Minister of Health distracted by party navel gazing, re-structuring and policy adjustments which could release internal tensions and the public washing of dirty linen to which the new leader judged it pertinent to refer.

Past evidence shows that what I have previously referred to as the cradle to the grave Unionism that informs the ideology of many UUP members is not easily persuaded of a need to change.

The traditional country first, party next with self in last place. to which the UUP aspires, has proven fluid and flexible where local politics and interests take preference.

Past leader Doug Beattie MLA found this over West Tyrone in the last NI Assembly elections.

Like a giant oil tanker, the UUP has proven slow and difficult to manoeuvre with some of the crew wanting to sail in the same direction; not thinking of abandoning their traditional home.  Mike Nesbitt will no doubt attempt to alter course. He has said as much.

He is not short of ability and good on detail but has been prone to damaging gaffes in the past over Haas-Sullivan, the Loyalist Forum during the Flags Protest as well as pacts and agreed candidates.

All proved troublesome and a distraction when it seemed the party was not at one with the leader. No such turbulence can be allowed this time around.

The new leader, at least one fresh into the post, may soon find that collecting roles is not the same as fulfilling them; particularly where the most important one is a matter of healing and preserving quality of life.

Terry Wright is a former member of the UUP who, in addition to inter- and intra-community activities works independently to promote Civic Unionism.