Speaking following his unanimous selection as the TUV parliamentary candidate in East Belfast, David Vance said he was honoured to be offered the chance to stand as the advocate for traditional Unionism in East Belfast.
 
“This is the moment for delivering real change and creating a fresh start in East Belfast, People are fed up with the sight of multiple jobbing MP’s mired in the Westminster expenses scandal even as they see their own jobs in peril. Three quick facts and three simple questions; 
 
1. East Belfast has seen a +60% increase in unemployment claimants in the past year, the worst in the city. Where was Mr Robinson when all these jobs were being lost?
 
2. The current East Belfast MP comes 618th out of 641 MPs in terms of his attendance record at Westminster. Where has Mr Robinson been when all the crucial votes were taking place?
 
3. In 2005, Peter Robinson assured the voters of East Belfast “We will not sit in power with gunmen and gangsters”. Whatever happened to Mr Robinson’s solemn pledge to keep terrorists out of power?
 
Full time representation at Westminster is the understandable demand from the people but regrettably they have not been provided with this by Peter Robinson. Time has now run out for political part-timers seeking full time pay and TUV enters this contest to ensure there is a real choice.
 
It’s also about offering rock solid unionism as an alternative to the push-over unionism of the current MP. No more excuses from political weaklings, East Belfast unionist voters want to be sure that when they vote for a candidate who says he will not enter power with IRA/Sinn Fein, that promise is kept. You can be certain that will be the case with TUV.
 
TUV has fresh ideas on a raft of vital issues including job creation, economic regeneration, better education provision for all, more effective control of our borders, and health care aimed at putting the patient first. TUV says no more political dynasties, time for prudent politics.
 
TUV is also the only unionist Party standing that has not brought politics into disrepute through gorging on the public purse. We are the alternative to the fatcats who ripped off £££millions during the last Parliament and now seek to get back in for more.
 
If elected, I pledge to stand up for the needs of the law-abiding citizen and work to help create a more prosperous East Belfast in a stronger more stable Northern Ireland.”
 
Commenting on David Vance's nomination as the TUV candidate to fight East Belfast, TUV Leader Jim Allister said, "I am delighted that in this key battleground constituency TUV has selected a candidate of such evident ability and political strength.
 
"As Peter Robinson's election agent when he first won East Belfast in 1979, I can never forget that he won the seat on the basis of painting Bill Craig as a weakling, yet, today, it is Peter Robinson who sits in joint power with IRA commander McGuinness. In consequence traditional Ulster Unionists and traditional DUP voters in this constituency have the right to feel cheated. With the UUP candidate being an even weaker version of the sitting MP, the only Unionist in this fight with a surviving record of consistent, principled unionism is David Vance. This reality, along with unease about the Robinson scandals will, I believe, set the scene for an excellent result for TUV in East Belfast."
 
David Vance is married to Hilary and they have two teenage children. Born in Bessbrook, his family moved to Portadown at the peak of the troubles. A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast (Economics).
 
David is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. David has been running his own commercial business for 16 years.  He was elected to Standing Committee at QUB for several years and has a lifelong interest in economics and education.