East Antrim DUP MLA Alastair Ross has expressed his disappointment that UUP MLA John McCallister has stated he would not want to see a Unionist agreed candidate in South Belfast or Fermanagh South Tyrone. He made his comments at a debate organised by students in the University of Ulster at Jordanstown. Commenting, Mr Ross said:
“Whilst we have known for some time now that the Conservative Party will not allow UUP constituency associations to enter discussions about agreed candidates in seats where a unionist majority resides under a nationalist or republican MP, some UUP MLA’s have at least paid lip service to the concept.
Last night however, speaking in a debate at Jordanstown, UUP MLA John McCallister said that he did not even want to see any agreed Unionist candidates, and that the Conservatives will be standing in the 18 NI constituencies as well as elsewhere throughout the country.
This position puts the UUP at odds with most Unionists in Northern Ireland, aligned to political parties or not.
It is also a clear example of the type of Unionism that the UUP now aspire to, and a warning to Unionists about David Cameron’s approach to Northern Ireland.
The reality for most Unionists is that they want to see agreed Unionist candidates in seats where a split vote will hand seats to nationalists and republicans, as happened in 2005 in both South Belfast and Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Despite the DUP having the strongest vote in both constituencies we have offered the UUP the choice to stand in one area, and we will stand in the other. The result of this would be the chance of returning an extra two Unionists to speak on behalf of Northern Ireland at Westminster.
Unfortunately David Cameron and Reg Empey are set on putting party politics before the interests of Unionists in Northern Ireland. The DUP in contrast will always put the interests of Northern Ireland first, whether that be in the Northern Ireland Assembly, at Westminster or in Europe. Whilst we will work with both main parties at Westminster we will not be shackled to either."
