The country wants to know - where now for Unionism?Ian Paisley junior MP answers the question

In an exclusive statement to The Ballymena Times, Mr Paisley said the General Election results ‘provide an excellent opportunity for unionism to move forward in a more united way’.

He said: “Coming less than a year after the European Election, this poll helped clarify where unionism in Northern Ireland stands today.

“The TUV has been resoundingly defeated, the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists failed to win a single seat and fell back further from their disastrous 2005 general election performance, while the DUP returned eight MPs and is now the only unionist party from Northern Ireland at Westminster.

“The overwhelming message from the results is that moving forward we need much greater unity within unionism,” said Mr Paisley.

“It was a remarkable night for politics and unionism in Northern Ireland. While all three unionist leaders failed to be elected to Westminster, only Peter Robinson’s and the DUP election strategy commenced by Dr Paisley was vindicated at the polls,” he continued.

“The DUP with its record and vision to keep Northern Ireland moving forward had its position as the voice of unionism reconfirmed. Indeed, any reasonable assessment of Thursday night’s results would see the DUP returned as the largest party at the next Assembly election.

“All of this is a far cry from the imminent collapse of the political process with which we were faced earlier in the year.

“The capacity of Peter Robinson to navigate the DUP and unionism through that period, even in the absence of personal difficulties, would rightly be regarded as a remarkable personal and political achievement.

“The Traditional Unionist Voice failed to make any breakthrough and has now lost all 13 elections that it has ever contested. If last Thursday’s results were replicated in an Assembly election only one TUV candidate would have been returned to the Assembly - a far cry from the bridgehead that Jim Allister sought to destroy Stormont,” said Mr Paisley.

“While there are some unionists who find it difficult to come to terms with the arrangements at Stormont it is clear that the overwhelming majority believe that they are in the best interests of unionism and Northern Ireland.

“This is an enormously positive development and provides a strong foundation for peace and stability for Northern Ireland,” he said.

“If anything, the failure of the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists to make progress was even more startling. It has often been stated that this is the first time in over a century that the Ulster Unionist Party has not had any MPs returned to Westminster but what is even more remarkable is the decline in the Ulster Unionist position from their catastrophic election of 2005.

“The Ulster Unionists and Conservatives will take time to consider any future relationship between the two parties but the real priority now must be to work towards greater unionist unity,” said Mr Paisley.

“It was disappointing that the Conservatives blocked an electoral arrangement between the DUP and UUP at this election. It is far from clear what, if anything, was achieved from such a position.

“Division within unionism hurts confidences and costs votes and seats. I have no doubt that an agreed candidate in South Belfast, with all of the momentum that such a development would have brought, would have won the seat. Closer scrutiny of Alliance Party policy will also assist in the campaign to win back East Belfast for unionism at the next Westminster election,” Mr Paisley said.

“While there are challenges ahead, there are also opportunities.

“It was very disappointing for Rodney Connor to lose out in Fermanagh and South Tyrone by only four votes but it is a clear target for the next election.

“Whether this election comes in five months or five years it is essential that unionism maximises its representation at Westminster. That is the challenge that faces all unionists in the weeks and months to come and I am confident that unionists can rise to this,” said Mr Paisley.