In the last few days I have been repeatedly asked if it really matters who tops the poll in this election.
The DUP claim that a vote for them will stop Sinn Fein from topping the poll. Well, a vote for me as the ‘Conservatives and Unionists’ candidate could also stop Sinn Fein topping the poll!
So you shouldn’t be scared into voting for the DUP. Is this the only reason they are giving you to vote for them - to stop Sinn Fein from topping the poll? Why such a sudden concern in beating Sinn Fein now? They concluded the St Andrews Agreement with Sinn Fein and co-govern with five Sinn Fein ministers.
Anyway, don’t voters deserve more than one reason to vote for a party? Shouldn’t each party say what it can offer rather than what it can stop, or attempt to stop another party from doing?
Voting for Conservative and Unionists is a vote for deepening and widening the Union. It is a vote for pan UK unionism. It’s a vote for a broader horizon than the “little Ulster” carve-up Sinn Fein/ DUP. It’s a vote for rebuilding the links and forging new, stronger bonds. It’s a vote for input and influence into national and EU politics.
It’s a vote for changing how unionists do things and how we see ourselves. A vote for Sinn Fein or DUP is a vote for stalemate and same-old, same-old politics.
Yes, I would be delighted to top the poll, but I want to top it for the right reasons. I want to top it for the Union, for Northern Ireland and for the geographical and political integrity of the United Kingdom.
