Political Platform: Steve Aiken MLA
Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken was first elected in 2016 in the constituency of South Antrim. He is the Ulster Unionist Party’s spokesperson for Finance and the Windsor Framework and sits on both respective parliamentary committees. Aiken is also the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly and was his party’s leader between 2019 and 2021.
What inspired you to get into politics?
I was working in Dublin as a CEO at a major Dublin University, having already had 32 years of public service with the Royal Navy, including having the privilege to command two nuclear submarines and, despite really enjoying living in Dublin, the cost of virtually everything made staying there untenable. Because of this I moved, along with my young family, back home to County Antrim. Like many, I was concerned about the health service, the schools, the infrastructure, and the economy at home. I was also a member of many north-south and east-west commissions and associations and had spent a lot of time working with the British and Irish governments as well as the Northern Ireland Executive.
At one particular meeting, the British-Irish Association held in Cambridge, I started berating several local politicians about the state of my home, and Mike Nesbitt MLA, then leader of my party and now our Health Minister, said very firmly to me, that “if people like you, who have the ability to make change but just feel comfortable sniping from the sidelines, do not get involved in politics, then nothing will ever change”. Basically his response was to ‘put up or shut up’. At that point, I realised I needed a new challenge and decided that it was going to be either politics or the Church. And my wife’s view, being a preacher’s daughter, was very clearly the former. The rest is, as they say, minor history!
What has been your proudest achievement in politics?
As party leader, when on the restoration of the Assembly, I had 15 minutes to decide which ministry we had to take. I chose Health and appointed Robin Swann as Health Minister. For all of us, through Covid and beyond with his great leadership and steadfast approach through all those very trying times, this was definitely the best decision I have made.
Who do you admire in politics or public life?
Over the decade I have been in politics, I have seen some great, and a lot of not-so-great political figures come and go. Sometimes those figures who were seemed destined for greatness or came with sterling reputations have fallen firmly by the wayside. But a person I have gotten to know well and most admire is Al Dubs [Alfred Dubs]. Having been involved in inquiries with him and someone with whom I have sat on numerous committees with, and, despite being in public life for nine decades, remains laser focused on human rights. He came to our country on a ‘kindertransport’ from the then-Czechoslovakia, escaping from the Nazis in 1939. Ever since, he has used his experiences to mould his political campaigning for the good of all. It has been one of the many privileges in my life I have been granted to know this outstanding humanitarian.
What drew you to the UUP?
I had actually been asked by several political parties, both in Northern Ireland and in England to join them. My personal political philosophy has always been on the centre left and, until Mike Nesbitt asked me to join the UUP, I had never seriously given the Party any consideration; though I did vote for Danny Kinahan and ‘Official Unionist’ candidates when I was at home. But the more I got to know Mike and met people like Doug Beattie, Robbie Butler and Mark Cosgrove and started looking at the party’s policies and outlook, I felt it was a political fit and home for me. Also, as the party of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and the party under David Trimble’s leadership, which took the hardest road to delivering the peace we have today, it is one that I take a lot of pride in.
What are your key priorities for South Antrim?
The health system has needed reform for decades and, with our party leadership in this area, under Robin and Mike’s direction, combined with a lot of fighting behind the scenes for the money we need for transformation, it is slowly improving. Waiting lists are coming down gradually; however, we need to put much more effort into improving our primary care. Getting our health centres to deliver is probably my biggest priority in South Antrim, and with Mike’s ‘shift left’ on the delivery point of healthcare, I think we are going to make the difference.
We deal with well over 100 constituency issues a week, and our office and my great team have over the last decade dealt with thousands of cases. South Antrim’s pet hates are with the state of our roads, flooding, and housing issues.
However, the best part about my job is promoting South Antrim. We have some absolutely brilliant schools, fantastic citizens – from world champions, olympians, artists and musicians, world-leading companies to our airport – and now the soon-to-be-opened Queen’s University Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Centre. Who knew that, as well as leading the world in medical diagnostics, car safety devices, and a rocket sledge for testing ejector seats, there are also parts manufactured in South Antrim currently on Mars?
We live in an outstanding and, in more ways than one, surprising constituency.
What are your interests outside of work?
My family and my church are my primary focus. As a ‘swim’ dad, I take up a lot of taxi duties for my very active family and have been described as the ‘most enthusiastic’ swim dad ever! I am also an academic and keep a very keen interest in the international system, defence, and security issues, writing regularly for the media and journals. Although I am a cat person at heart, I also love nothing more than walking in the Antrim Hills along with our family dog.
