Ulster Unionists will be to blame

Editorial Department • Published 11 Mar 2010 09:00 0 Comments

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Dear Sir - At a time when unionists should be working together to defeat Sinn Fein in the upcoming General Election, it is regrettable that three contributors to your paper, including an Ulster Unionist Councillor, chose to go against the spirit of unionist unity to launch attacks on local DUP MLA, Arlene Foster.

Quite deliberately, I will refrain from getting into party political squabbles. I wish only to present some facts for your readers to consider:

1. Unionists want unity - in a recent Belfast Telegraph poll, 63% of Protestants surveyed thought the UUP was wrong to dismiss a cross-Unionist electoral alliance.

2. The DUP want unity - 'Despite being the largest party in both Fermanagh and South Tyrone and South Belfast, and if agreed unionist unity candidates cannot be found, we are willing to offer the UUP first pick of these two seats, and we will run in the other. We want to see both these constituencies with unionist representatioin at Westminster': DUP Leader Peter Robinson on unionist co-operation when asked if the DUP would consider standing aside in either Fermanagh and South Tyrone or South Belfast.

3. The UUP/Tory alliance reject unity - 'no chance....None. Out. None. Absolutely none whatsoever': Tory leader David Cameron on unionist co-operation when asked if the UUP-Tory alliance would consider standing aside in either Fermanagh and South Tyrone or South Belfast.

The above facts, in my opinion, make it abundantly clear that it will be the UUP to blame if we are subjected to another five years of absentee MP Michelle Gildernew. No amount of spin on their behalf can erase the facts outlined above.

Yours faithfully,

RHONA McMAHON

1 Monmurry Road,

Coolcoghill,

Brookeborough.

This letter appeared in Impartial Reporter 11 Mar 10

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