Ken Robinson MLA
Ken Robinson entered politics as a Newtownabbey councillor in 1985, serving as Mayor in 1991-1992. Elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998 to represent East Antrim for the Ulster Unionist Party, Ken was re-elected in 2003 and 2007.
A former school principal and a school governor since 1985, he served on the North Eastern Education and Library Board and has been a member of the Education Committee at Stormont since 1998. Having taught in West Germany from 1970 to 1976, he is a committed European.
How did you become interested in politics?
I have always been interested in politics since my first visit to Stormont on a school trip. I joined the Ulster Unionist Party in the 1960s and became Chairman of the South Antrim Unionist Association just as the Anglo-Irish Agreement was imposed. During those turbulent years, I was elected to Newtownabbey Borough Council, becoming Mayor in 1991-1992.
What parallels can you draw between teaching and political life?
My initial teacher training at Stranmillis College emphasised that listening and observing are as important as speaking. This has been most useful in the political setting since you must listen to your electorate and then speak on those matters that are concerning them most such as housing, health, jobs and, of course, education.
In politics, as in teaching, you learn to assess the ‘empty vessels’ who make a lot of noise but achieve little and to identify those who really do get the job done without any fanfares.
Please outline your main priorities on the Education Committee and the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee.
My main priorities on the Education Committee would be the immediate enhancement of early years provision. It is vital that our younger generation, especially those who live in marginalised settings, are supported in their youngest years. I also want to see the phasing out of composite classes, more positive male role models in our schools, adequate staffing levels and young unemployed teachers having the opportunity to practice their craft.
In the Culture, Arts and Leisure Committee I want to see a new stadium in Belfast as quickly as possible with modern facilities that will impress visitors to Northern Ireland. I would also encourage artistic, musical and cultural groups at grassroots level to access the funding and expertise that will enable them to enhance their skills, broaden their appeal and take their rightful place beside the more established arts sectors.
How does the work on the two committees overlap?
Through my support for those who need help at an early stage both in education and in developing their cultural pursuits. I firmly believe that we have untapped potential in both sectors that could greatly enhance the quality of life for individuals and for our society.
What role would you like Northern Ireland to play in Europe?
I have been a committed European ever since the 1970s when I lived in Germany just as the EU was evolving. While the initial prize was continuing peace, substantial economic benefits were also emerging. The social conscience approach underlying the EU appeals to me. Through helping the weaker nations, their economies and social cohesion improved dramatically. This was a crucial dynamic with the Celtic Tiger providing a prime illustration of this innovative approach.
The need to include the emerging eastern European nations led me to involve Newtownabbey in a tripartite twinning arrangement with Dorsten in Germany and Rybnik in Poland. It was obvious then that Northern Ireland would lose its special status by 2013 and that major funding would be focussed increasingly in the east. We have to learn to be more self-sufficient and less reliant on the previous levels of EU funding.
We should transfer our community sector expertise that has been built up over the past 25 years as our positive contribution to the development of those states emerging from communism who have no such support mechanisms. Our local business sector must also grasp every available opportunity to seek joint projects in these countries.
Who would you like to meet for lunch?
After dealing with matters political I would like to spend an enjoyable lunch in company that could both entertain and yet make incisive social comment on our modern world. I can think of no better combination than Billy Connolly, Ken Dodd, our own May McFetridge and, if there is room at the table, we could just squeeze in Dolly Parton who has a natural wit and charm that must be inherited from her Ulster-Scots ancestry.
What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of your work?
A major challenge is to persuade people to lift their sights and grasp what is attainable. I feel education and a social conscience are central to improving both the individual and this society. The greatest challenge currently is to persuade young Protestant males to engage with education in any form. If we fail to address that issue we are allowing the existing gap between the haves and the have nots to grow. I feel that is presently a greater challenge than the traditional orange and green divide which has exercised us for so long.
The most rewarding part of being a politician is to be an ‘enabler’ for individuals or groups with ideas and energy who wish to engage constructively with those statutory bodies that are in a position to progress such vision and turn it into reality.
In my constituency I am particularly proud of my role in the Monkstown Village Centre scheme. There, individuals and a group saw a need, had an idea how to address it, but required access to funding, land transfer and technical expertise. They now have a development in which 17 commercial units are rented out, providing employment and sustainable finance which enables much needed community activities to flourish without seeking further grant aid. The location of the scheme has really put the heart back into that district, integrated public and private housing areas, and strengthened a sense of community.
How do you like to relax?
I like to read, especially those books with a European or historical theme. Until recently I was an avid caravanner, travelling annually across Europe and meeting wonderful people from many nations. I also enjoy playing with my seven grandchildren. They are my current ‘excuse’ to play football, climb hills and play with model trains.
