Hamilton comments both 'negative and depressing'

The letter from ‘Flash’ Harry Hamilton (25/03/10) was disappointingly negative and depressingly backward looking.

Being that it was a rejection of efforts to achieve agreed unionist candidates in both South Belfast, Fermanagh and South Tyrone, it is difficult to conclude that given the simple choice between reaching an agreement with fellow unionists or gift-wrapping two Westminster seats to pan/nationalism, Harry Hamilton will choose the latter and allow the people of Fermanagh/South Tyrone and South Belfast to pay the penalty and live with the consequences.

What was particularly disappointing about his apparent dismissal of attempts to achieve greater unionist unity and co-operation was how he sought to justify it.

His first line of argument was to lay all of the blame for historical divisions within unionism solely at the door of the DUP.

Any student of unionist history knows this to be entirely false.

There have been tensions and divisions within unionism ever since there has been unionism.

Let us consider one of the two constituencies, South Belfast. In 1902 it was won by an Independent Unionist. In both 1906 & 1910 it was contested by an Independent Unionist and an Irish Unionist.

In 1922 it was passed to an Ulster Unionist. In 1929 there was another contest by an Independent Unionist.

It was then held by an Ulster Unionist until February 1974 when it was won by a Vanguard Unionist who beat a Pro-Assembly Unionist.

This was held until it was won in 1979 by a Ulster Unionist who beat a UPNI candidate.

The DUP first contested it in 1983. Since then it has also been contested by the PUP in 1997 and 2001.

Clearly Harry Hamilton’s justification for rejecting unionist unity and co-operation is based upon entirely false assertion.

But there is much worse to be found in his rejection of unionist unity and co-operation.

He also took refuge in more recent events and again laid all the blame at the DUP’s door. Once again his accusations are shown to be false.

I can remember when there actually was an electoral pact between the UUP and the DUP.

This was broken by the UUP in Mid-Ulster.

I can also remember in the late 1990s when there was an agreed position between the UUP, DUP and UKUP.

It was that if SF was admitted into the all-party talks without decommissioning, they would leave.

This was honoured by both the DUP and the UKUP, but was breached by the UUP.

It is bad enough for Harry Hamilton to reject unionist unity and co-operation in South Belfast and Fermanagh/South Tyrone.

It is worse to do so when it guarantees that unionism will suffer. It is especially to do so and then seek to justify that rejection of unionist unity and co-operation by making such inaccurate claims.

This is no way to treat the unionist cause.

It is no way to treat the people of those constituencies.