TRADITIONAL Unionist Voice Member Donald Crawford says he trusts “some” nationalists, believes there are “a few good ones out there” and claims they have been “brainwashed” by republicans to “despise” unionists.

And after being asked five times, the farmer from Lisbellaw appeared to confirm that he has no Catholic friends.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Impartial Reporter following the announcement last week that he is to stand in the Assembly election for Fermanagh-south Tyrone in May, Mr. Crawford has: * Criticised gay people for “shoving their issues down my throat.”

* Claimed “we are being overrun” by migrants with some “coming here for easy money.”

* Accused First Minister Arlene Foster of “blackmailing the unionist community.”

* Claimed responsibility for getting Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott elected last year.

Mr. Crawford failed to get elected to Fermanagh and Omagh District Council when he stood for election in 2014, but says he was content with the 636 first preference votes that he received. Now he says Stormont is in his sights, pledging to address issues such as education, health and the past.

“I am in the big pool now, fishing in the big pool,” said Mr. Crawford on Monday.

The former member of the Ulster Defence Regiment spoke of his dislike of Sinn Fein, saying the party has “no role in society” and questioned its support in Fermanagh.

“22,000 voted for Sinn Fein the last time in the nationalist community. This is the question I would love to ask my Catholic neighbours: is that what you think of me as a Protestant neighbour?”

He believes that nationalists have been “brainwashed by the republican movement” over the years “to despise the unionist community.”

Mr. Crawford who prays every night (for sinners, his family, The Queen and the desire to have a “stable government”) does not believe in same-sex marriage.

“I wouldn’t be for it, it’s one of my Christian beliefs. I am not against LGBT people, I don’t hate them. I believe what they do in their own time and their own space is up to them. I let them get on with it, but whenever they come out and start shoving their issues down my throat as a Christian and other Christian’s throats maybe that’s whenever it becomes a wee bit of an issue.

“My message to them is that they have nothing to fear from Donald Crawford, I don’t hate you. What you do in your own time is between you and God,” he said.

He agrees with the County Grand Master of the Orange Order in Fermanagh, Stuart Brooker, who said last year that gay people could not join the organisation because “homosexuality is wrong.”

“I’ll stick along the same lines as what the County Grand Master has said. I am not saying they aren’t allowed to join it but as a Christian based organisation it states in the Bible that it is wrong. We can’t say one thing and do something else.”

Mr. Crawford claimed responsibility for getting Ulster Unionist MP Tom Elliott elected to Westminster last year, saying: “There was no possibility that any unionist could have won that seat if we hadn’t taken the role we took.”

He accused DUP leader Arlene Foster who spoke of her fear at the weekend of Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness taking the first minister’s role from her following May’s election as “a blackmail tactic against the unionist community.”

On the topic of immigration, Mr. Crawford said: “Some of them are economic migrants that come here. They see Britain and us, as an easy touch for benefits. There are a lot of people out there, I am not saying all, who will come to work and will benefit the economy here. But there are a few out there who are coming here for the easy money.”

He describes Donald Trump, the candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States, as “a bit of a loose cannon.”

“Some of the things he says I could agree with, some of the things he says I wouldn’t agree with. I do think what he was saying about calling a halt to all these migrants coming in, and study the situation before we take any more in. We are being overrun,” he said.

He called on the nationalist people of Fermanagh to “let the protestant, unionist people see that you are serious about sharing this wee county with us.”

Asked if he trusted nationalists, Mr. Crawford replied: “I would trust some of them. It goes back to the question of where does their heart lie when you see so many of them voting for Sinn Fein in the Westminster election last year. I am not saying they are all bad, there are quite a few good ones out there, and some that I would chat to on a regular basis. But they need to show us the same commitment that we are showing them.”

Asked if he has Catholic friends, Mr. Crawford replied: “I would have Catholic neighbours, and Catholic people that I would chat to from time to time.”

Asked again if he has Catholic friends, Mr. Crawford replied: “I wouldn’t say they are bosom buddies, but I would class them on friendly terms.”

Asked again if he has Catholic friends, Mr. Crawford replied: “It depends what you class as a Catholic friend.” Adding: “I would class them more as associates.”

Asked again if he has Catholic friends, Mr. Crawford replied: “Well, I’ll leave for you to take whatever you want from that.”

Asked again if he has Catholic friends, Mr. Crawford replied: “I wouldn’t have Catholics that I would associate with on a regular basis but if I met them on the road I would stop, chat with them, and have a friendly chat, a neighbourly chat with them.”