TUV stands for Equal Citizenship
05 May 2010
Speaking at a Press Briefing, TUV Leader Jim Allister said TUV had had a good election where it mattered - on the doorsteps. A result which again would confound the pundits was on its way. Despite the blatant discriminatory efforts of the BBC and UTV in deliberately excluding TUV, with 14% of the vote, from the Leaders' debate, while including SDLP with 16%, Mr Allister said no politically driven media would expugn the voice of Traditrional Unionism at the polls.Mr Allister continued, "I find our core message has resonated well with voters, despairing of the sleaze of others, the lamentable failure of Stormont and the phoney pretence of hitherto absentee MPs that they will even be in Westminster to make a difference.
"One of my disappointments of this campaign is that the DUP has felt unable to get over the embarrassment of its faux pas of November 2006 to commit to making repeal of the provision whereby Sinn Fein can become First Minister, which they so notoriously aided through Parliament, a deal-breaking demand in any hung parliament. How any Unioniast can hold back on making this commitment is beyond my understanding.
"I find too that our commitment to EQUAL CITIZENSHIP for Northern Ireland voters within the UK has strong appeal. I have yet to meet a voter able to argue against our unanswerable demand that as in Wales and Scotland, and everywhere else in the democratic world, voters in Northern Ireland should be able to vote a party out of office and have an Opposition in their devolved Assembly. Yet, under the Belfast/St Andrews model such fundamental rights are denied because of the unbending diktat of enforced coalition. I look forward to constantly pressing this equal citizenship demand in the House of Commons.
"I also find that very many Unionists recognise TUV as their best insurance policy against further runaway concessions to IRA/Sinn Fein, recognising that a strong TUV keeps the DUP and others looking over their shoulder.
"So, my expectations of polling day are high as we look forward to the next successful stage in rebuilding Traditional Unionism as the bulwark for democracy and stability which it has always been. In politics, as in life, we should do what is right. Every democrat who believes and knows it is not right to have unrepentant terrorists in government will vote accordingly on Thursday."
