The News Letter asked the Conservative leadership candidates, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch about the fact that they did not go to a Northern Ireland reception. Here are their replies when Ben Lowry tried to ask them after their Tory conference speech. Wednesday October 2 2024
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00:00Cleverley, you said you're a unionist to your bootstraps just now but there was a Northern
00:03Ireland reception last night and only one of the four candidates even showed up and
00:07you weren't one of them. It would have only taken five minutes of your time. I'm just
00:11wondering how you react to how that looked for your commitment to the UK?
00:16So I went to Northern Ireland on a number of occasions when I was Foreign Secretary.
00:21I spoke with all the parties represented in Northern Ireland. My passion for Northern
00:28Ireland as part of the UK is as passionate as my belief that Braintree is part of the
00:34UK. At party conference there are always more events than hours in the day. I wasn't able
00:42to make that. I wanted to but I wasn't able to. In the same way that there were other
00:47receptions including the Northern reception, the East of England reception, which is my
00:51own area, that I wasn't able to get. Next conference, as leader, I will try and make
00:57sure I get to as many as possible but please know that my commitment to Northern Ireland
01:02is absolutely unshakable.
01:03You mentioned at the end of the speech the identities, the British identities, including
01:07Northern Ireland. Last night there was a reception by the Northern Ireland Conservatives and
01:11only one of the four candidates turned up which is a big disappointment to them and
01:15you weren't one of the four. I'm wondering how you reconcile that with what you're saying?
01:19Let me say, I'm the only candidate in this race who's been to Northern Ireland. It was
01:24in fact one of the first things I did. I met Northern Irish Conservatives in Belfast,
01:27I met the business community, so I feel very strongly that I have to represent all four
01:32nations of the United Kingdom in this role and that's exactly what I've done.
01:36Kemi, you didn't go to the Northern Ireland reception last night.
01:39I'm sorry, I can't say that. I'm sorry guys. Thank you so much.
01:47She didn't go to the Northern Ireland reception last night. Only one of the four candidates
01:50did and for somebody who proclaims an interest in the UK that was a bit of an omission perhaps.
01:55Didn't take long to pop in.
01:58I don't know anything about that but I can tell you she's as passionate about the importance
02:02of keeping Northern Ireland in the Union and listening to Northern Irish voices as any
02:06of the people on that podium today, if not more so.