Dear Madam, - The SDLP leader, Alasdair Mc Donnell said last week that they reject a call for a single Pro-Agreement candidate in next year’s Westminster election, to do so would be based on sectarianism and selfish interests. Who is he trying to fool? The political reality today is that all unionist parties are anti-Good Friday Agreement. There now exists an axis within Unionism, one that is aimed at subverting the principles and processes of the Good Friday Agreement. These are the forces that threatened to “collapse the institutions, with a graduated response”, these are the same forces that refused to accept a democratic decision in Belfast City Council to fly the union flag on designated days, the same forces that rejected the Haass proposals, the same forces that walked out of talks last summer because the Orange Order was refused a parade pass Ardoyne, the same forces that have supported and attended Camp Twaddell, which is costing the taxpayer millions to police weekly.

This anti-agreement axis is against equality, democratic compromise, even anything associated with Irish culture, language and identity - you only have to listen to what Gregory Campbell said at the DUP conference at the week-end. These are the type of forces that will be combined to try and prevent Michelle Gildernew from retaining the Fermanagh South Tyrone seat next May. Are the SDLP so politically blind that they will put forward a candidate in an election that they have absolutely no chance of winning and allow a rejectionist unionist in? Have the SDLP not learnt any lessons from five years ago? Then their leader Margaret Ritchie refused to agree a single pro-agreement candidate when Michelle Gildernew was up against a candidate, supported by the DUP, UUP and TUV.

Thankfully Michelle emerged victorious, with just four votes to spare; on the other hand the SDLP’s decision to field a candidate caused a 49 per cent collapse in their vote. Peter Robinson at his party conference made reference to the four vote margin with a clear hint that they plan to target seats held by pro-agreement parties. The SDLP need to wake up to this fact, otherwise they are playing into the hands of those who wish to turn the clock back. If they do proceed, they will be severely punished by the electorate of Fermanagh/South Tyrone and across the North. Yours faithfully, Nationalist Voter, Co.Fermanagh