TUV party President William Ross – who is a former Ulster Unionist MP – has questioned the Conservative Party’s commitment to the Union following comments by Ken Clarke on last night’s Question Time.

Mr Ross said:
“On last night’s Question Time the Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson said that it was a great pity that the second Home Rule Bill was lost as a result of Parnell’s affair with Kitty O’Shea because
“If we hadn’t lost Home Rule at that time under Gladstone and the Liberal administration we may never have had the problems which we’ve had subsequently in Ireland”.

“The next comments came from Ken Clarke who said:
“I agree with everybody else. I agree with Chris on Parnell”.

“This is outrageous. Had the 1893 Home Rule Bill passed there would be no Union between any of the counties in Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Unlike the 1920 Act, there was no provision in it for the creation of Northern Ireland.

“Given the Ulster Unionist links with the Conservative Party it now behooves UUP leader Sir Reg Empey to demand that Ken Clarke immediately withdraw his comments. All of David Cameron’s fine words about Tory commitment to the Union will ring hollow otherwise.

“I suspect that this remark revels much about the Tory Party’s true attitude to Northern Ireland”.