Bitter row likely to split unionist vote
A bitter row erupted tonight between unionists in Northern Ireland over a decision by Ian Paisley’s DUP to contest a Westminster seat held by Sinn Féin.
Ulster Unionists claimed the DUP’s decision to field Arlene Foster in Fermanagh and South Tyrone at the next General Election had guaranteed Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew would hold onto her seat.
But DUP chairman Maurice Morrow hit back, accusing the Ulster Unionists of launching a “nasty, personal and abusive attack” on Mrs Foster who defected from their party in January.
Democratic Unionists chose Mrs Foster, who is an Assembly member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, at a selection meeting on Friday night.
A UUP spokesman accused her today of using his party to achieve her current position as an Assembly member, only to desert them.
Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott also said: “We can all remember how the DUP supported (Enniskillen bomb survivor and independent unionist) Jim Dixon in the 2001 Westminster election, which helped secure the victory for Sinn Fein.
“After almost three years of having a Sinn Féin MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone I have not yet realised how this has helped or been in any way beneficial to this constituency, this province or indeed the Unionist cause.
“I am disappointed that Mrs Foster is being used by her new friends following her walkout from the UUP to benefit republicans.”
Former DUP Social Development Minister Maurice Morrow said his rivals should “hang their heads in shame” for their attack on Mrs Foster.
The DUP chairman, who is also a Fermanagh and South Tyrone Assembly member, said: “The Ulster Unionist Party is in no position to launch lectures about bolstering Sinn Féin/IRA.
“It is the (David) Trimble led UUP who have surrendered to Sinn Fein/IRA over the course of the last six years.
“Unionists in this constituency and across Northern Ireland have rejected the policies of pro-agreement Unionists at the Assembly election.
“The Trimble analysis has been rejected. Anti-Agreement unionist candidates outpolled Trimbleite candidates by 13,649 votes to 8,291 votes.”
Mrs Foster narrowly missed out on becoming the UUP’s candidate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the last Westminster election, losing out to James Cooper.
Mr Cooper lost the UUP seat in 2001 by 57 votes to Michelle Gildernew in a controversial election.
In last November’s Assembly Election as an Ulster Unionist candidate, Mrs Foster secured 5,019 votes while the DUP’s candidates, Maurice Morrow and Bert Johnston got a combined total of 8,630 votes.
If all her votes were to transfer to the DUP in a Westminster election, that would give the party a total of 13,649 votes.
The total Ulster Unionist vote was 13,229 but if you take away Mrs Foster’s support it was slashed to 8291.
In November Sinn Féin’s three Assembly candidates, including Michelle Gildernew, secured 15,901 votes.
Mrs Foster’s bid for a House of Commons seat will depend on how much of the disaffected Ulster Unionist vote she has been able to take with her to the DUP.
The DUP also hopes the announcement that she is running will put pressure on the Ulster Unionists to stand aside but this is thought unlikely in a constituency where the UUP has tended to outperform its rival.
Mr Morrow said the defeat of Michelle Gildernew and Sinn Féin was a necessity for people in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
Mrs Foster, he said, was standing in the contest to win.
