DUP MLA for Fermanagh & South Tyrone and the Party’s Chief Whip in the Assembly Lord Morrow of Clogher Valley has said that the voting record of Assembly Members is yet another demonstration of the DUP’s record in devolution. The figures come after the publication of other data which showed that the attendance of DUP members at Committee meetings far exceeded that of other parties. Commenting on the figures Lord Morrow said,“There are several different aspects to the work of an Assembly Member and all of these roles are important. Obviously however, the role of a Member of the Legislative Assembly must include the scrutiny of legislation as it goes through the relevant committees and on the floor of the Assembly. Figures published last week showed that the attendance of DUP Members at Committee meetings far exceeded those of the other parties.
It is not surprising therefore that DUP members also lead the way in terms of their voting record within the Assembly. Of the 20 Assembly Members with the best voting records, 15 of these are from the DUP. On the other hand, of the bottom 20 Assembly Members 7 of the UUP’s 18 MLAs are included within this group.
Questions must surely be asked of someone like David Burnside, who does not even sit on an Assembly Committee and holds no Ministerial office, yet can only find the time to participate in less than one quarter of the votes within the Assembly. Time and time again we have witnessed the failures of the UUP whips to muster more than a handful of their members to either participate in a debate or in a vote. This appears to be the level of representation given by the Ulster Unionist Party. Because of this kind of lax attitude to participation within the Assembly there is no doubt that the unionism suffers and the full voice of unionism is not heard. We may have thought that the era of half-hearted UUP representation was over, but it appears to be alive and well.
The DUP is committed to giving the people the best possible representation at all levels. While some other parties appear not to be able to find the time to actually participate in the activities they were elected to carry out, the DUP will continue to ensure that we will work within the devolved structures to deliver the best possible outcomes for the people of Northern Ireland.”