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UUP RECORD ON POLICING AND JUSTICE LEAVE THEM IN NO POSITION TO ATTACK OTHERS
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Responding to the decision of the government to call for a report from the Independent Monitoring Commission Jeffrey Donaldson said:
Speaking today Peter Weir said:
“David Trimble’s comments at the weekend belie Ulster Unionist denials of his influence behind the scenes in this proposed UUP-Tory link up. Despite Reg Empey’s protests to the contrary, it is clear that the real driver behind this talk of merger is the rejected ex-UUP leader David Trimble. His comments at the weekend reveal a concerted campaign by the former UUP leader to bounce his former party in a direction that many members feel extremely uncomfortable with, namely fully-fledged merger with the Conservatives. David Trimble left the Ulster Unionists and jumped ship to the Conservatives after the voters of Upper Bann sent him packing. Now he is appearing inside newspapers referring to the UUP as his party and his new political home as “The Tories”, issuing threats about time running out for a link up with the Conservatives. Trimble is clearly trying to bounce his successor into serving up the Ulster Unionist Party on a plate. He also fools no-one with his protestations that he isn’t after a Tory cabinet place.
The pace with which this merger is being pushed, most visibly by David Trimble must be unsettling to many UUP members with Labour Party sympathies: people like Sylvia Hermon, Fred Cobain, Michael McGimpsey and Ken Robinson cannot be happy that their party’s independence in Parliament is being sacrificed at the behest of a man who led them to crushing electoral defeat.”
DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds MP MLA today said:
“The DUP is first and foremost a Party which seeks to defend and promote the Union. We believe that the interests of the Union are best served by being free to speak and vote at all times in accordance with that overriding objective.
The DUP has maintained good relations with the Conservative Party and often votes with them on issues in the House of Commons. At the same time it is essential to have the freedom to make judgements and take decisions on an issue by issue basis, at all times putting the interests of the Union and unionism first, not the preferences of another political party.
Both main Parties at Westminster have at times adopted policies or promoted measures which have been detrimental to the Union or against the interests of unionists in Northern Ireland. Currently both Parties have policies which many unionists in Northern Ireland would neither support nor endorse.
Being staunchly unionist whilst at the same time being free from having the fetter of an imposed whip, whether it is Tory or Labour means we are best placed to speak, negotiate and represent the people who have elected us.
The DUP has been in regular discussions with the Tory party leadership. We also talk regularly to the government. With the prospect of a hung Parliament stronger than ever, and as recent events show, having a strong bloc of DUP Parliamentarians acting cohesively will be very significant. Any Party in that situation will be in a very strong position to negotiate on behalf of Northern Ireland and the unionist cause.”
Nigel Dodds MP, MLA said: