Statement by TUV South Down candidate Ivor McConnell:

“I was shocked to read a press release from Joint First Minister Robinson in which he stated that “every vote in the House of Commons will count”. When did Mr Robinson discover this interest in “every vote in the House of Commons”? That certainly hasn’t been his position in the past. In the last Parliament Mr Robinson missed a staggering 65% of the votes in the Commons!

“Mr Robinson missed key votes during the embryology debate, on increasing the number of regional casinos, on the Sexual Orientation Regulations which restricted religious liberty, on a vote for a free speech amendment to the 'homophobic hatred' offence and a host of other issues.

“The record of the other outgoing DUP MPs is similar.

“So why should the public believe that the DUP will be there for all the key votes in the next Parliament when their record in the outgoing Parliament is so appalling? Remember too that Peter Robinson has already said that he will continue as a double-jobber at Westminster and the Assembly if re-elected!”