Dallat urged to withdraw Duncan Smith remarks

The British Conservative Party has called on the SDLP’s John Dallat to withdraw remarks he made about Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith.

Mr Dallat said recently that Mr Duncan Smith was an enemy of the Irish peace process who voted against policing reform and opposed human rights legislation in the North.

He also criticised the embattled Tory leader for "allowing" one of his MPs to stand for the anti-agreement DUP in Assembly elections in the North.

The British Conservative Party rejected the criticism today and said the remarks about the DUP election candidate were factually incorrect.

A party spokesman said Andrew Hunter had resigned the Tory Party whip before joining the DUP.