FIRST Minister Peter Robinson believes the best way for unionists to win the Fermanagh-south Tyrone Westminster seat next year is to have an “agreed candidate”.  The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party says “it is important” that the seat currently held by Sinn Fein’s Michelle Gildernew “is held by a unionist”.

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter at his party’s conference in Belfast on Saturday, Mr. Robinson said: “We attempted at the last election to put together an agreed candidate [in Fermanagh-south Tyrone] and came very close. Four votes is a very small number of votes to hold a Westminster seat by. It must be a potential seat to be won for unionism.” The Impartial Reporter previously revealed how the first minister had been part of discussions with the Ulster Unionist Party around the possibility of forming a pact in order to oust Ms. Gildernew.

UUP leader Mike Nesbitt proposed that the DUP allow his party to stand on its own in Fermanagh-south Tyrone next year in return for allowing them to take on North Belfast. But the DUP leader refused to agree. Asked why he rejected Mr. Nesbitt’s proposal, Mr. Robinson said: “I personally feel the best chance of winning is to have an agreed unionist candidate and we are having conversations with the Ulster Unionist Party.” And he declined to say any more: “I don’t think there is much benefit from saying anything more until the conclusion of those conversations.” Last week this newspaper revealed that the UUP will go ahead and choose its Westminster candidate for the area - possibly Fermanagh-south Tyrone MLA Tom Elliott - because of the DUP’s decision not to accept their offer. Asked for his thoughts, Mr. Robinson repeated his points.

“What I said was the best chance of winning was an agreed unionist candidate and that certainly was the proposal that I put out there. We had one the last time: Rodney Connor stood the last time and that was in the context of a lot of unionists in Fermanagh-south Tyrone believing the seat could not be won back. Now that they know it can there is every encouragement to come out on election.” “I don’t think I have anything further to add than what I said,” stated Mr. Robinson. “The best opportunity of winning the seat is to get an agreed unionist candidate. Let’s see what happens in the discussions.” “I don’t see any difficulty if there is common ground of substantial nature between parties in putting forward an agreed candidate. If you look at politics today there is a struggle on the part of the Ulster Unionist Party to find points of difference with the DUP and in many cases those points of difference have been about baggage from the past or personalities. I still look for the day when will have the day of a more united, coherent unionism in Northern Ireland,” he said.