The Deputy Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Nigel Dodds MP MLA has said that the DUP is working with all parties to advance the interests of the Unionist community in Northern Ireland. As he welcomed Conservative MP Christopher Fraser to Stormont, Mr. Dodds pointed out that over the space of the last seven days the DUP has held a meeting at the Conservative Party conference, discussed the future of the education system in Northern Ireland with Michael Gove, the Shadow Schools Minister and held a meeting with the Labour government’s Security Minister Paul Goggins. Nigel Dodds said:“Unionism is best served by cultivating good relationships and sound working partnerships in all of the political parties represented at Westminster. That has always been the position of the DUP. The practical outworking of our sensible approach has been seen over the course of the last seven days. Not only have we been advancing our position at the Conservative Party conference through holding meetings and lobbying senior Tory figures such as Michael Gove, we have also been participating in our on-going and regular contact with the Labour government via the Security Minister, Paul Goggins.
We are delighted to welcome Christopher Fraser MP to Northern Ireland today. Christopher is a good friend to Unionism, serving alongside Gregory Campbell and Sammy Wilson in the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. We have a good working relationship with him as with many other members of both the Labour Party and the Conservatives.
As Reg Empey and the UUP slowly but surely back away from the concept of fully merging the UUP with the Conservatives, it has become clear that our approach of cultivating good relationships in both main parties has been entirely vindicated. Aligning Unionism to one single political party would not serve the interests of our community well. We are strong enough, confident enough and have enough friends in both main parties to steer a course that brings maximum benefit to Unionism.”