Allister spells out stance in Larne
28 April 2009
Speaking to East Antrim TUV fund-raising dinner in Larne, Jim Allister QC MEP said the upcoming European election would not just be about electing 3 representatives to Brussels, but would be an opportunity for the voters of Northern Ireland to pass their verdict on terrorist-inclusive government at Stormont.
Declaring that he would be the only candidate opposed to terrorists in government he said, “Every one of the other candidates is a supporter and endorser of Martin McGuinness as Joint First Minister. Despite the pretence of some about concern over Sinn Fein topping the poll, the truth was that the DUP, for the sake of office, had deliberately, willingly and consciously elevated Sinn Fein to the top and heart of government. There is no point in the DUP candidate parroting statements of concern about de Brun, when she is a supporter of the arch-godfather of IRA terrorism, McGuinness, as Joint First Minister. The day Mrs Dodds put up her hand, in the ruling councils of the DUP, in favour of accepting IRA/Sinn Fein into government was the day she surrendered the ground from which the republican movement can be resisted with consistency and credibility. Hence, it will be an honour to be the only candidate thoroughly opposed to terrorists in government, and with a record to prove it.
Dealing with the disrepute into which politics had been brought by other double-jobbing, greedy politicians, the Traditional Unionist MEP declared, “The job of an MEP, an MP or an MLA are each full-time jobs and are paid as such, therefore, double and triple jobbing is a disreputable abuse of the electoral process. Little wonder hard-pressed working families, struggling to make ends meet, are so outraged by the greed and scandal lately exposed. Neither double and triple jobbing, nor family-dynasty building in politics, have served Ulster well.”
Commenting on the “Vote for change” slogan of the UUP, Mr Allister said there was an obvious irony, apparently lost on the Ulster Unionists, in running a candidate seeking a fifth term under such a slogan. However, he went on to stress that whatever his differences with the Ulster Unionists and the DUP he definitely wanted to see two unionists, rather than two nationalists, returned to Brussels and, therefore, he urged his supporters to use their second and third preferences to also vote for the other Unionist candidates. Such was imperative, he said, in order to counter the DUP’s unfortunate decision to split the vote by opposing two sitting unionist MEPs and he called on Mrs Dodds and Jim Nicholson to make an equally emphatic call on their supporters.”
Mr Allister thanked the local branch for all their hard work and looked forward to several further visits to East Antrim during the campaign.
