Responding to remarks from Edwin Poots Jim Allister said:
 
“When has Edwin Poots been over the last week or so? He clearly wasn’t able to make the DUP party conference because if he had he would know better than to accuse others of constant attacks on other Unionists.
 
“Independent commentators noted on the remarkable absence of attacks on Republicans while noting that DUP fire was instead directed at Traditional Unionists. This is hardly surprising given that Edwin’s party sits round the same cabinet table as Sinn Fein/IRA.
 
“Indeed, Edwin himself now serves under Martin McGuinness who, courtesy of the DUP, occupies the position of Joint First Minister. This is the same Edwin Poots who in lambasted David Trimble’s decision to “sit in Government with an IRA commander” on the floor of the Assembly in 2001.
 
“I will take no lectures in constancy from an individual with such a track record.
 
“It is interesting that Edwin Poots should cite the 2005 DUP manifesto for supporting the devolution of policing and justice. This was the same manifesto which described the form of executive in which Mr Poots now happily sits alongside Sinn Fein/IRA as “out of the question”.
 
“And just what did the 2005 manifesto say about policing? “We have opposed any reduction in police numbers, particularly the removal of Reservists who play such a vital role in frontline policing.”
 
“What is Edwin Poots’s position on the Reserve? Is he on the Donaldson wing of the party who regards the issue as “a deal-breaker’ or does he side with Peter Robinson, Jimmy Sprat and Arlen Foster who are quite happy to see policing and justice powers come to Stormont whether or not the Reserves stay?
 
“Clarity on this vital issue is more important than petty point scoring”.