Speaking to the North Lurgan Branch of Upper Bann UUP tonight, a sceptical UUP Leader Sir Reg Empey said he would approach talks with the DUP in good faith but cast doubt over the merits of the UUP subsuming into the DUP.

Sir Reg said,

“Eoghan Harris raised a few eyebrows at the Reform Club last Friday, when he argued in favour of a merger between the UUP and DUP.

Never let it be said that the UUP expects our guests to toe the line and say only what we want to hear!

But he did raise some points that need to be addressed.

The timing of the invitation from Nigel Dodd’s to the UUP’s Officers, for talks with the DUP (an invitation that Eoghan regarded as an encouraging development) was interesting:

It came late on that Friday afternoon, when it was becoming clear that there could be a major difficulty for Dr. Paisley at that night’s meeting of his free Presbyterian ruling council.

It came on the same day that rumours were circulating that Jim Allister and others were preparing to set up a vehicle for disaffected DUP members and supporters.

The news of the invitation was released to the media before I had time to read it.

And let us not forget that the DUP knows that this party is in the final stages of an internal review and reform exercise. I had to bear in mind that they were possibly throwing a spanner into our works, holding out the prospect of accommodation and pact at the very time we were preparing to re-launch ourselves.

But taking all of that into consideration, the leadership team of the Ulster Unionist Party decided to test the bona fides of the DUP and what they had to offer for unionism and the Union. But let no-one kid themselves that this is some sort of launching pad for unionist unity at this stage.

The previous and best time for unionist co-operation was in the 1996-1998 period, when the Belfast Agreement was being negotiated. It would have been so much better had the DUP stayed on board at that stage – particularly in light of the fact that they are more or less in precisely the position that the UUP negotiated almost alone. I heard no talk of pacts and co-operation in March of this year, when the DUPs only agenda seemed to be the destruction of Ulster Unionists and the accommodation of Sinn Fein.

So it is tempting to draw the conclusion that the DUP – which has quite a few problems on its plate at the moment – regards inter-unionist co-operation now as a means to a particular end; namely entrenching its own dominance at our expense.

It is interesting too to note the receptive noises of Jeffrey Donaldson, one of the people responsible for so much internal damage to the UUP!

As Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, I need to bear in mind also that there tens of thousands within the pro-Union community who never have, or maybe never will, vote for the DUP.

Politics is about choice. It’s about reaching out to voters who haven’t been and probably can’t be won over by your opponents.

It needs to be remembered that a single Unionist Party, or permanent coalition, shuts off for ever the opposition option in the Assembly. Accountability, scrutiny, transparency, opposition and real choices at elections are the cornerstones of a democratic government.

There are now, and will be again, occasions when some practical on-the-ground co-operation between the pro-Union parties could assist in the winning of extra votes and seats.

As Party Leader I have to be careful in the choices I advocate for my colleagues, members and voters. I have to ensure that some sort of pact doesn’t, in reality, do more damage to the UUP and to unionism.

We will approach discussions with the DUP in good faith to see if we can end the lack of representation in Parliament that so many people in Northern Ireland have to endure. How can it be of benefit to stay away from the Parliament that votes vast sums of money for us to spend in Northern Ireland. Yet this is what Sinn Fein and shortly to arrive Fianna Fail intend for the people.

If there is a realistic possibility of helping any electors in Northern Ireland achieve representation, then Ulster Unionists will take seriously a proposal that could bring about change.”