19/01/2012

UUP Respond To Call For 'United-Unionism'

The Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has spoken about proposals for a single unionist party in Northern Ireland saying that it will not necessarily increase unionism political power.

On Tuesday First Minister Peter Robinson said he wanted to see the creation of a single unionist party in NI but UUP leader and MLA Tom Elliot said that this was not necessarily the best solution.

Mr Robinson said relations between the two main pro-Union groupings have improved and he urged the parties to work together on a campaign to defend the Union against the threat of Scottish independence.

In response Mr Elliot has welcomed closer co-operation between the two parties but questions whether a single party would lead to unionism success.

He said: "I have always questioned whether or not a single Party would deliver the required electoral success for Unionism.

“Certainly an agreed pro-Union Westminster candidate in Fermanagh & South Tyrone in 2010 did not maximise Unionist voter turnout and actually polled fewer votes than the Ulster Unionist and the DUP got between them at both the 2011 local government and Assembly elections."

(LB)

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