{"id":23242,"date":"2021-09-25T11:24:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-25T15:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23242"},"modified":"2021-09-27T11:26:44","modified_gmt":"2021-09-27T15:26:44","slug":"ulster-unionists-reject-dups-call-for-electoral-pact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23242","title":{"rendered":"Ulster Unionists Reject DUP’s Call For Electoral Pact"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie (PA)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie has rejected a call by DUP chief Jeffrey Donaldson for a unionist pact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Donaldson was speaking ahead of the next Assembly election, due in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He called for a pact to help return \u201cas many as possible pro-Union, anti-protocol MLAs\u201d and prevent Sinn F\u00e9in emerging as the largest party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Donaldson said he believed his party, the UUP and TUV could \u201cwork together\u201d to broaden unionism\u2019s appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m fighting an election with the objective of winning and the DUP emerging as the biggest party, but I take nothing for granted,\u201d he told the Belfast Telegraph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnionism cannot afford for the vote to be fragmented and Sinn F\u00e9in come through the middle to emerge as the largest party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll resources must be focused on unionism winning this election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope we can work with the UUP and TUV to ensure we maximize the number of Assembly seats unionism secures and return as many as possible pro-Union, anti-protocol MLAs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI respect both Doug and Jim [Allister]. They offer strong leadership of their parties and I seek to do the same in the DUP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to see us all working together to broaden unionist support in the election.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Beattie said: \u201cWe will work with anybody for the good of the people of Northern Ireland. That could be on child poverty, social housing, health, education and promoting the Union itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have been clear in our opposition to the Protocol and have tabled our own proposals over the course of the last two years to address it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll unionist parties reject it and want to see it replaced, and I will co-operate with others to try and achieve that. None of this requires pacts and there will be no pacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a political party we are confident in our pro-Union message. It is for others to ask if they wish to vote for positive unionism or negative unionism, to vote for a vision for the people of Northern Ireland focused on the future or a backward protectionist, power-driven vision focused on self-preservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf it is the former, then the vote will be for the Ulster Unionist Party and a Northern Ireland confident with its place within the United Kingdom.\u201d<\/p>\n

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