Attacks on fellow unionists, not Sinn Fein, shows who DUP now view as the enemy
01 December 2010
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“One would have thought that if the TUV was as irrelevant as the Democratic Unionists sometimes suggests we would not have merited a mention at their conference. However, it would appear that Sammy, Nigel and Peter all still have great interest in our party.
“There was a time when Republicans were told by DUP spokespersons that they needed to be “house trained”. Having now twinned themselves with Sinn Fein/IRA the DUP turn their attention to fellow Unionists and describe them as “rats”.
“Whereas at past DUP conferences the UUP were attacked for sharing power with terrorists and bank robbers now the only references to Republican involvement in criminality come in jokes made by the First Minister. Very fitting giving the DUP’s choice of venue!
“In spite of what Nigel Dodds might say, TUV remains true to the principles which brought it into being. We don’t see the ending of mandatory coalition as a long-term goal but something which could be achieved NOW if only there was the will to act across the Unionist parties.
“Mandatory coalition only survives because Unionists agree to work it.
“While Peter Robinson talks about ending division in our society, the reality is that the sectarian carve up of the executive and the institutionalised sectarianism of Stormont does nothing to heal the divisions in Northern Ireland but rather perpetuates them.
“Only when we see a genuine sharing of power in a cabinet committed to work for the best interests of the people and not the best interests of the politicians will our Province move forward.”
