DUP Tough Talk will not prevent Strategic Defeat says McGimpsey
Senior Ulster Unionist Michael McGimpsey today said that despite tough talk from the DUP about holding out for the right deal they needed to remember that the loss of Stormont would be a massive strategic defeat for Unionism.
In a statement Mr McGimpsey said,
“The tough talking, not an inch rhetoric from the DUP may be comforting to some but the reality is that the DUP are nine MPs and as of 24 November, no MLAs.
The potential loss of Stormont would be a massive strategic defeat for Unionism but Lord Morrow and others in the DUP would try and present it as some kind of victory.
The process has been going round in circles and the Ulster Unionist Party is keen to see matters resolved once and for all, although we remain to be convinced that Sinn Fein are ready for Government.
We are not, however, interested in dribbling the ball for as long as possible for internal party political reasons. Unionists should be under no illusion that if Stormont goes on November 24th, Northern Ireland would go from bad to worse.
The Secretary of State and Irish Government have indicated that Plan B will involve greater all Ireland activity, the review of Public Administration will be a disaster for Unionists and could lead to the effective re-partition of Northern Ireland and crucially the Province has a subvention of £16 Billion yet currently generates only £10 Billion leaving a deficit of £6 Billion. Do the DUP really think that the Chancellor will allow this to continue in a stalemate? Absolutely not, if people think water charges and rates are bad, these are but the tip of the iceberg.
The DUP accuses my Party of hastily trying to do a deal. This is not the case. We simply want to ensure that all the obstacles, after over 10 years of process, can be overcome sooner rather than later.
Tough talk is fine but the DUP must begin to walk the walk otherwise on the morning of November 25th they could have handed Unionism a massive strategic defeat “