Traditional Unionist Voice Vice Chairman Keith Harbinson responded to remarks made by Councillor Paul Rankin, claiming that Councillor Ranking had failed to extract the real message given to the DUP from the European Election.

 Mr Harbinson said:

“The European Election did not highlight a failure by the DUP to get across its message. Rather it highlighted the fact that fewer and fewer people are now willing to buy into that message.”

“I am glad to see Mr Rankin’s acknowledgement that Jim Allister was a very strong candidate, as many within his party refused to even speak his name prior to the European poll, but I would suggest that his exceptional ability will once again serve Ulster well as a strong leader for Unionism in the future.

“The argument that Mandatory Coalition is better than Direct Rule did not fool the voters in 1998 when it was the UUP peddling it, and it is not fooling them now.  Mr Rankin cannot claim that the argument has not been well made by the DUP, as we have been listening to the same argument since David Trimble in 1998 and I believe that horse has been well and truly flogged.  Perhaps instead of treating the electorate with such contempt as to say they didn’t understand the message, the DUP should accept that the Unionist electorate are not willing to embrace the message.  Councillor Rankin should acknowledge that mandatory coalition is unsellable to the people of Northern Ireland, after all his party spent years denouncing it and treating it with the contempt it deserves, or, if it is sellable, then clearly Councillor Rankin is suggesting that the party needs to change its salesman.

“Traditional Unionist Voice do not seek to return this country to Direct Rule, we merely use it as a reference point to prove that so profoundly unjust is the current system, that Direct Rule without Republican murderers in your government would still be preferable.  Instead, we seek an alternative form of coalition, one that provides the very basic right of any civilised country, but a right which we are deprived of in Northern Ireland, namely democracy.  Councillor Rankin suggests that it is not achievable, I would suggest where you seek an alternative you will always find one.

“The current system has failed, and I would remind Councillor Rankin that lauded successes such as the retention of academic selection have not been achieved by the DUP, our education system remains in tatters with no viable alternative put in place despite the new selection process put in place by the schools themselves being merely 3 months away.  The IRA army council remains intact and on standby, further evidence that the current system of governance is flawed beyond comprehension.

“The DUP record at the Stormont Assembly stands on a level par with their European poll, in tatters.  The root cause of this must be addressed and acknowledged for the benefit of Unionism as a whole in Northern Ireland.  Mandatory coalition with Sinn Fein cannot succeed.  As a sellable entity it is past its sell by date, and not even fit for purpose, nor will it ever be.”