Responding to the reaction to his unveiling as a TUV candidate Alex Elliott said:
 
“The attempts by some senior Unionists to suggest that by standing in the Assembly elections, I and my fellow TUV candidates are risking Unionist seats falling to Sinn Fein/IRA is frankly nonsense. I am aware that at election time, some MLAs will attempt to gather votes by spreading fear so as to protect their empire and position of power, thereby retaining their seat at Stormont, giving our people four more years of misery and ineffective Government.

“In my comments announcing my candidacy, I made it quite clear that my chief opponent in the upcoming election would be Sinn Fein. I urged all Unionists to vote for all Unionist parties so as to maximise the Unionist vote.

“I have to admit that I am extremely concerned that some UUP/DUP supporters will ‘split’ the Unionist vote as they have done in the past, by failing to vote for all of the Unionists candidates. I suspect that some will yet again, do the same, this time round.

“The UUP and DUP do not have a monopoly when it comes to claim Unionist votes. I am thankful that many fellow Unionists will not follow like sheep into the polling station to give them their 1st preference vote. 

“It is regrettable that the DUP and UUP still remains content to place Republican criminals at the heart of the Executive. By doing so, they have granted Republicans an absolute veto over all government decisions and have turned Stormont into the very expensive cash guzzling organisation. TUV is the only Unionist party opposed to; terrorist criminals in government and; the present system of flawed Government which has no opposition.

“However; I and my TUV colleagues will continue to do everything in our power to encourage all of our Unionist voters in Fermanagh/ South Tyrone, where many in the past, due to disgust at the performance of the present Northern Ireland Government, failed to turn out at the polls.”