Armstrong to lead initiative to attract more women into UUP

New Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) deputy leader Diana Armstrong is to take forward an initiative to grow the number of women in the party.

Ms Armstrong, who was ratified in the deputy leadership role on Saturday, is currently the party’s only female MLA.

Talking about her new position, the Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA said: “I am doing this for women who came before, women who came before me who played their part in unionism.

“But there are many women without a seat in Stormont, without a seat in local government, and I want those women to step forward and be part of this next chapter in the Ulster Unionist Party.

“There is a policy that will be put in place to bring more female membership and the qualities that women bring to decision-making in governance, and I welcome that work that will be ongoing.”

New leader Jon Burrows said Ms Armstrong would lead a group which would be having conversations with women about how they can be better-supported in politics.

He said: “A very practical example, we have councillors that will tell us that moving into being an MLA is too challenging, the reason being they have got childcare arrangements, they are working mums or working dads, where they have got caring responsibilities.

“We need to look at those practical things and say ‘how can we make Stormont work better for people who have working families, what are the issues?’

“That is why we are going to engage with the grassroots, engage with the community and put that voice into our policy.

“We are taking this as a strategic objective that we are going to increase the number of females and the number of young people in our party. We are offering something different.”

Mr Burrows pointed out the fact that he and Ms Armstrong were both relatively new MLAs showed there was “opportunity” in the party.

He said: “We are open to fresh talent and fresh thinking and fresh ways of doing business.”

Ms Armstrong added: “I have a lot of contact with the female members within the associations of our party and there is a real appetite that they are recognised within the party.

“I want to send a signal that we are listening, we value what women can bring to the party inherently.”