Peter Weir MLA
One of the few to take the route, Peter Weir was elected as an MLA before he sat in the council chamber. He was returned for the UUP to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996 and elected to Stormont in 1998, but left to join the DUP in 2002. Peter has served on North Down Borough Council for Ballyholme and Groomsport since 2005. A former barrister, the Bangor man also sits on the Employment and Learning and Environment Committees.
How did you get started in politics?
I had an interest in politics from a young age, and although there were no direct family connections with any political party, I grew in a household which took an interest in the world around us, and where newspapers were read avidly, the news followed on television and radio an d election results studied closely.
Although I went to a couple of public meetings as a teenager, I didn’t become actively involved until I went to Queen’s University in the late 1980s, where I joined the Ulster Unionist Association. From that point on I got heavily involved in unionist politics at the Students’ Union, making many friends that I have to this day. I was actively involved with the UUP for over a decade, before effectively becoming estranged from the leadership over the Belfast Agreement, and found my true home in the DUP.
In a constituency known for its low turnout such as North Down, how can you encourage political participation in the area?
North Down has always been seen as a ultra-safe unionist seat where whatever the result a unionist wins (in the most recent elections Sinn Féin reached the heights of 250 votes), so it is perhaps not surprising that turnout is low when it is politically sheltered, has generally avoided the worst of the Troubles and, for some, is economically comfortable.
In engaging the population every opportunity needs to be taken from the new methods of websites, Facebook and Twitter, to the more tried and tested methodology of hard work on the ground and traditional door to door canvassing. Above all you can’t beat the opportunity to meet the public on a one-to-one basis, so any meeting should be grasped. In engaging with young people in particular I believe it is vital to treat them with respect and gravitas. The worst thing you can do is patronise people by engaging with gimmickry.
What are the potential conflicts of interest between your council work for Ballyholme and Groomsport and as MLA for the whole of the constituency?
I have the great honour and privilege in representing the area and the people that I grew up with and still live beside, both as an MLA and a local councillor for Ballyholme and Groomsport. I have never felt a conflict between the two roles, and indeed in my experience the two are complementary.
I served for seven years as purely an MLA before becoming a councillor, and there is a distinct advantage to being a local government representative. It enhances the level of knowledge of what is happening on the ground. As an MLA it has been very useful at times to have the knowledge of what is happening at the council, and as a councillor it has been of benefit at times to bring the perspective of what is happening up at Stormont to the Council chamber.
People don’t make a distinction between problems that are best dealt with by a councillor, an MLA or an MP and from the day of your election you become a councillor for the whole borough.
What more needs to be done to make sure Northern Ireland is well-placed to emerge from the downturn?
I believe that the policies that the Executive has been pursuing to counteract the effects of the recession have largely been the right course of action.
Before the current economic difficulties we placed economy at the heart of the agenda, and we have sought to back that up through easing the burden on businesses through restricting the regional rate, preventing any rise in the manufacturing rate, the small business rates relief and through aiding consumer spending by freezing the regional rate and holding back water charges. Our Enterprise Minister has sought to gain new foreign investment as well as providing practical support for indigenous businesses.
We will be keen to explore with the new government how we can aid Northern Ireland’s competitive edge through for example the lowering of corporation tax, but we will also send a clear message that public sector cuts too quickly and too deeply could threaten recovery, especially in Northern Ireland.
Your party’s general election manifesto proposed to expand allotment provision. In practice, how will this work?
We believe that this is both physically and mentally beneficial, as well as providing a social need in an increasingly urbanised society, although demand heavily outstrips supply. We would encourage councils and other public bodies by considering the allocation of public land which is not suitable for other development to the allotment scheme, rather that allowing that land to go to waste and lie idle and unkempt.
As a former lawyer, what changes will the profession see as justice is devolved?
As the operational independence of the judiciary and the court system has been protected, perhaps there will be less change than some people predict.
The principal role of a justice minister will be on policy issues, so I hope that there will be focus on matters such as sentencing guidelines and better support for victims of crimes. I believe that the new minister is likely to have lawyers’ fees in his sights, and if he gets his way this is likely to lead to a degree of redistribution of fees within the sector.
Outside politics, what do you do to relax?
When I remove the political anorak, I enjoy sport, mainly in a spectator role. I am keen member of the Green and White Army as a regular at Windsor Park for Northern Ireland internationals, and also support Manchester United. My other sporting passions are cricket and snooker, which I play regularly as the lazy man’s form of golf. I am also interested in history and in music, and am looking forward to the return of local band Snow Patrol on their return to Bangor.
