Robinson urges rival unionists to set aside egos and focus on co-operation
The DUP leader was commenting after his party colleague Jonathan Buckley wrote to UUP leader Jon Burrows and TUV leader Jim Allister on the issue.
Unionist politicians must set aside individual egos and prioritise what is best for Northern Ireland, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said.
Mr Robinson said “division” was costing unionist parties at the ballot box as he urged rivals to work together to maximise co-operation ahead of next year’s Assembly election.
His comments came after DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley, who is the party’s director of elections, wrote to the leaders of the main unionist parties, including Mr Robinson, urging them to engage in a process to increase co-operation amid the ongoing political dispute over the Drumcree Orange Order parade.
UUP leader Jon Burrows has signalled a willingness for discussions with fellow unionists. However, TUV leader Jim Allister has been critical of Mr Buckley’s initiative, claiming it was motivated by a DUP desire to stem electoral losses.
All three leaders were asked about the issue as they gave separate press conferences at Stormont on Monday.
Mr Robinson insisted he had been leading the call for increased unionist co-operation for months.
“I have encouraged all unionist leaders to engage in discussions around co-operation,” he said.
“I believe unionism can win. Unionism has the power to win and push back against the arrogance of Sinn Féin and Michelle O’Neill, but it needs to co-operate. And division costs.
“Now you know I’ve been engaging with Jon Burrows over the last number of months. You know others are playing a little more hard to get, but the opportunity for unionism is there, it’s real.
“It only needs people to set aside their individual egos to recognise what’s important, and what’s important for me, the Democratic Unionist Party and the people of Northern Ireland is Northern Ireland and its place within this United Kingdom.”
Mr Burrows said unionism deserved better leadership.
“I think it’s unusual that a backbench MLA writes to his own party leader inviting him for talks – that is a head scratcher,” he said.
“But, look, I have had some discussions with Gavin. I’m prepared to have more conversations with any unionist about getting more unionists in the Assembly, about getting more unionists out voting, and about getting more transfers between unionist candidates. But I also have to give people a reason to vote. They need better politics. They need proper reform of Stormont. We’re the only unionist party offering that. So, look, what’s going on in the DUP? I’m not sure. But I’m happy to meet anyone about promoting the case for the Union.”
The UUP leader said his greatest worry was not “egos” but “self-interest”.
“This has to be about the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland and unionism, and not the interests of any one party or any one individual,” he said.
Mr Burrows added: “I do think what we need to be doing is having less megaphone diplomacy. If these talks are about actually working constructively together, let’s have them in private. Let’s have some discretion. Let’s build up some trust and let’s see some tangible results for the unionist people. I’m concerned about overpromising and underdelivering. The people of unionism have had enough of that. What they need is sure-footed leadership. Change. And new ideas. That’s coming from the Ulster Unionist Party. But I’ll work with others who want to promote the case for the Union.”
Mr Allister said he was not going to be a “patsy” in a “save the DUP” strategy.
“Let me be very clear – TUV has always been in favour of maximising the unionist vote. Indeed, there is a third of the DUP Assembly team who are members of this place courtesy of TUV transfers, we have always been eager and forthright in urging the maximising of the unionist vote, but we are not in the business of saving the skin of a party who wants to keep Michelle O’Neill in office, and wants to continue to implement the iniquitous Union-destroying protocol (Northern Ireland Protocol on post-Brexit trading rules).”
He added: “I do find it bizarre that a partisan who’s the director of elections should be writing to his own party leader and to me after he’s made sure the News Letter (the initiative was first reported by the News Letter) has got the coverage of it, and then, almost as an afterthought, you get a letter expounding on that.
“I think it’s quite clear there is a DUP strategy there to try and entice unionists onto the space of ‘let’s save the DUP’ and I think it is quite clear that the timing is motivated, I believe, in significant part, by the electoral danger presenting itself to the DUP.
“Now, none of that means that we shouldn’t try to maximise the unionist vote. Of course, we should. I have always tried to do that and will always try to continue to do that. But I am not going to be some sort of patsy who falls for a ploy which has got political, party political overtones and motivations, rather than the genuine motivation of trying indeed to maximise the unionist vote.”