Ulster-Scots now officially recognised at Westminster

By Billy Kennedy

An all-party Ulster-Scots group has been formed at Westminster, with Unionist, Labour and Conservative MPs and peers represented in what is a significant and historic development.
The move is a progression of the keen interest shown by Westminster politicians in the work of the Ulster-Scots movement since it began five years ago.
Sponsors of the group's launch at the Palace of Westminster on January 19 were MPs Jeffrey Donaldson (DUP), the Rev Martin Smyth (UUP), Sir Nicholas Winterton (Conservative) and Andrew MacKinley (Labour).
The launch was extremely well-attended by representatives from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, including Northern Ireland Secretary of State Paul Murphy and the other NIO ministers - Angela Smith, Ian Pearson, John Spellar and Barry Gardiner, and by leading figures in the Ulster-Scots movement in Northern Ireland.
Present were George Patton, chief executive Ulster-Scots Agency; George Holmes, Agency cultural director; Councillor Dr Ian Adamson, an Agency board member; Mrs Anne Smyth, chairman of the Ulster-Scots language Society; William Humphrey, director Ulster-Scots Heritage Council; Mark Thompson, Ulster-Scots Academy, and Councillor Nelson McCausland, MIA, of the Ulster-Scots Heritage Council.
Officers elected to the new Westminster Scots-Irish group are; chairman - Andrew MacKinley MP (Labour); vice-chairmen - Rev Martin Smyth MP (UUP), Sir Nicholas Winterton MP (Conservative) and Lord Laird of Artigarvan (UUP) ; secretary - Nigel Dodds MP (DUP); treasurer - David Burnside MP (UUP).
Andrew MacKinley, MP for a Middlesex constituency and with Scottish family roots, is a frequent visitor to Northern Ireland with a holiday home in Co Down.
He spoke of the honour he felt at his election as group chairman and his affinity with and interest in Ulster-Scots affairs.
Ulster-Scots Agency chief executive George Patton outlined the work of his organisation and he said he looked forward to working with the new group.
He also answered a number of questions on the work of the Agency from MPs and Lords peers present, who included Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, Gregory Campbell (DUP), UUP  MPs Roy Beggs and Lady Sylvia Hermon, Tory MPs David Liddington (Westminster Opposition spokesman on Northern Ireland) and Quinton Davies and Ulster Unionist peers Lord Kilclooney (John Taylor), Maginnis and Rogan and Lord Brookeborough.
The all-party Westminster group plans to highlight an awareness programme of the various aspects of Ulster-Scots culture and language, in association with the Ulster-Scots Agency.