Voters urged to 'punish' Trimble at the ballot box

Unionists should use their vote as a weapon to ‘‘sweep away’’ their leaders who have failed them since the Good Friday Agreement, DUP leader Reverend Ian Paisley claimed today.

As Northern Ireland entered the final week of campaigning for its Westminster and local government elections, Mr Paisley claimed there was a ‘‘crystal clear’’ division between his party and the Ulster Unionists over the Agreement.

Predicting significant DUP gains in both elections, he urged voters to punish David Trimble and his party at the ballot box.

‘‘Unionists have a weapon, the weapon of the ballot box,’’ he said.

‘‘I call upon them to use that weapon to sweep away a unionist leadership which has so singly failed our province in its greatest hour of testing.

‘‘The unionists of Northern Ireland have the power in their hands to break out of the net of treachery which has been thrown over them by Trimble & co.’’

Mr Paisley claims his party has never in its history received the kind of enthusiastic reception it was getting on the campaign trail.

He also attacked the decision to make retired Ulster Unionist MPs Ken Maginnis and John Taylor members of the House of Lords.

‘‘Messrs Maginnis and Taylor have received their rewards for their treachery,’’ the DUP leader argued.

‘‘Their shame is to be covered by the ermine of the House of Lords. But that shame will out!

‘‘Mr Maginnis claims his unionist principles have been underpinned by getting into the Upper House. Some unionist principles, which can only be underpinned by paying the price of treachery.’’

DUP party secretary Nigel Dodds also aimed a broadside at his Ulster Unionist rivals for trying to ‘‘paper over the cracks and divisions’’ in their party.

He noted leading anti Good Friday Agreement members of the UUP, such as Derry East candidate William Ross, were predicting another leadership battle against Mr Trimble and claimed this proves that the Ulster Unionists were not united during this election campaign.

Mr Dodds claimed the divisions were also apparent while canvassing for

Westminster and local government seats, with some UUP candidates carrying no mention of their running mates in their election material and others producing their own manifestos.

‘‘If they cannot unite themselves, what hope have they of uniting the unionist electorate?’’ he asked.

‘‘When people are going to the polling booths on Thursday, the only certainty they have is the total confusion of Ulster Unionist candidates in the Westminster and local Government election.

‘‘Some are one minute pro-agreement, the next minute anti-agreement - the McNarry/Burnside approach where you say whatever you think the people want to hear.’’