uuptoday.org

Responding to comments made by Peter Robinson about vote-splitting, UUP South Down Assembly candidate John McCallister said the DUP were the original vote-splitters:

In a statement Mr McCallister said,

“Peter Robinson’s comments take the biscuit. The DUP leadership are the original vote splitters. They did not have any concerns about splitting the vote when they began to split unionism in the late 60s early 70s. From that time on they systematically broke up unionism in general and many of its key institutions as well. What has been the legacy of this? A shredding of unionism which has only benefited republicans over the decades.

Having divided unionism to their own advantage, they now have the arrogance to complain when they are in turn challenged by others. In other words they cannot take a taste of their own medicine.

But worse still is the feeble attempt to play the Sinn Fein card: that that party could become the largest.

This is the last refuge of a failed policy. The DUP acquiesced in the rule change made by the Secretary of State that gerrymandered the Assembly in the St Andrews Bill in Parliament. The DUP made no attempt to amend the legislation, and failed to support amendment by others who tried to do so.

This indicates that their fingerprints are all over this dirty trick. Clearly they are trying to play the sectarian card and trying to blackmail voters into supporting them even though the DUP itself helped bring about this pro-republican change to the legislation.”

UUP MEP Jim Nicholson, accompanied by UUP South Down Assembly candidate, John McCallister met the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI) yesterday to raise concerns about European funding that was brought to Mr Nicholson’s attention by South Down Action For Healing Wounds (SDAHW).

Jenny Carson, project worker with South Down Action For Healing Wound, also joined Mr Nicholson and Mr McAllister for the meeting.

Speaking after the meeting Mr McAllister said,

“This was a very productive meeting which allowed the CFNI to hear South Down Action For Healing Wounds concerns about European funding.

“The group were formed in 1999, at a time when innocent victims of terrorist violence needed support to have their voices heard. The membership is drawn from both security force families and civilians and is a self help support group.

Mr Nicholson added,

“I deal with many complaints and concerns about European funding on a weekly basis and was more than happy to facilitate the meeting. Historically the Unionist community have not been as confident as others in coming forward to access funding and this is something I would like to see change in the future. This means building confidence and capacity within those communities.”