UUP in advertising campaign against rivals

Sinn Fein and the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists have both abandoned their principles since the Good Friday Agreement, it was claimed today.

In a pre-General Election strike at both parties, the Ulster Unionists today published an eight-page newsletter outlining how the DUP and Sinn Fein have moved under the Agreement.

The UUP alleged in the newsletter inserted into a daily newspaper that the Rev Ian Paisley’s party has taken part in more than 1,000 Assembly committee meetings with Sinn Fein MLAs and have joined them in delegations to Brussels, Germany and the United States.

They also claimed the DUP is more interested in attacking fellow unionists than republicans, criticising the Ulster Unionists in three times more press releases than they do Sinn Fein.

The DUP was also accused of threatening to hand marginal seats in the Westminster election to Sinn Fein by splitting the unionist vote.

The newsletter claimed Sinn Fein has moved away from its slogan of ‘No Return to Stormont Rule’ by participating in a power-sharing executive, have accepted a ‘‘permanent unionist veto over the future of Northern Ireland’’ and have conceded an end to the Republic of Ireland’s constitutional claim over the province.

The party also claimed successes against republicans with the inspections of IRA arms dumps, the flying of the Union flag above Stormont’s Parliament Buildings while Sinn Fein MLAs work inside and the ban on Sinn Fein ministers from meetings of the North South Ministerial Council until decommissioning is resolved.

In a message to the electorate, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble argued the suspension of the devolved institutions last February had forced the IRA to promise to put its weapons completely and verifiably beyond use.

‘‘We are holding them to that promise,’’ he insisted.

‘‘Because of my actions Sinn Fein is under pressure. We have not broken the link between decommissioning and devolution.’’

The UUP document, which also emphasised the party’s record in government under devolution, was published in today’s edition of the Belfast Telegraph ahead of what promises to be a tough General Election campaign.

The party faces a bitter battle with the DUP for pole position in the unionist community, with the Rev Ian Paisley’s party targeting the Ulster Unionist held seats of North Belfast, Strangford, East Londonderry and East Antrim.

The UUP will also be hoping to regain the South Antrim seat it lost to the DIUP’s Rev William McCrea in a by-election last September.

However, the party also has a fight on its hands to keep the West Tyrone and North Belfast seats away from the nationalist SDLP and Sinn Fein.

Sinn Fein is hopeful it can regain Fermanagh and South Tyrone while the SDLP believes it can win South Belfast.