Statement by TUV Upper Bann Assembly candidate David Vance:

“Those who watched the DUP’s party election broadcast last night could have been forgiven for thinking that Dundela Avenue would have been immediately on the phone to the BBC and UTV. Why was their party election broadcast replaced by an episode of “Changing Rooms”?

“However, once the cast were finished papering over the cracks (an unintended metaphor for the shortcomings of devolution over the last four years perhaps) it did become clear that this was indeed a DUP party election broadcast, one with a single serious point to it.

“I am sure many pro Union voters will be dismayed to see the largest Unionist Party insisting that it is dangerous to vote for any other unionists. Such a selfish and narcissistic attitude exemplifies WHY the unionist turn out keeps falling at the polls. DUP negativity plays straight into Sinn Fein/IRA hands and damages the Union. I contrast this with the positive attitude taken by TUV which advocates unionists first choosing TUV and then supporting other unionists in their order of preference. It seems that the DUP now sees other unionists as more of a threat to it than Irish republicans – a sorry indictment on what the DUP has become.”