Responding to comments from the DUP’s Gregory Campbell TUV chairman Ivor McConnell said:

“The fact that Unionists hold a majority of seats round the Executive table is totally irrelevant. Sinn Fein/IRA have an absolute veto on every issue. The DUP have replaced a government where Republicans had total control over the departments they headed with one which gives them a veto over what goes on in all departments.

“That was why the Executive was unable to meet for five months until the DUP rolled over to Sinn Fein/IRA on the issue of policing and justice.

“Unionists, as Mr Campbell well knows, are not in control of their own destiny. Peter Robinson cannot blow his nose politically without Martin McGuinness’s agreement. And it’s about time we had a wee bit of honesty from the DUP on that issue.

“TUV does not exist to give Nationalists a majority in a terrorist inclusive executive. We exist to remove terrorists like Martin McGuinness from government – a position they could not have obtained without the help of the DUP.

“Mr Campbell argues that we should be grateful for the achievements of devolution. Tell that to the parent of the P6 pupils who have suffered as a result of the chaos his governmental partner, Catriona Ruane, has brought to education.

“He hails government funding for victims but says nothing about £10 million of Peace money which went to former terrorist prisoners – signed off by the Executive.

“He pretends that devolution is delivering for the Loyal Orders while saying nothing about the fact that the man who jointly headed the Executive he served in launched a bitter attack on the Orange Order just a few days ago.

“Mr Campbell needs to get real. An Executive which includes Sinn Fein/IRA is not one which will deliver for the Unionist people.”