PUP sets out its election stall

A loyalist political party was today unveiling five basic principles as part of its manifesto for this month’s Northern Ireland Assembly Election.

As Northern Ireland’s 256 candidates embarked on their election campaigns for the November 26 poll, David Ervine’s Progressive Unionist Party was setting out its stall on health, education, housing, the environment, the economy, policing and the constitution.

With the rival Ulster Unionists setting out its plans in a 10-point charter yesterday, PUP deputy leader David Rose was expected to outline five core principles for the party.

These are:

:: Respect for Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom.

:: The material well being of the Northern Ireland people.

:: Equal access to education.

:: Civil, religious and cultural liberty for all.

:: The right to peaceful opposition and protest.

The Progressive Unionists, who have links to the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force, have announced 11 candidates and are defending two Assembly seats in East and North Belfast.

David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists are fielding the most candidates in the election with 43. The Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists have 40 people running.

In the nationalist community, Sinn Féin is running 38 candidates while Mark Durkan’s SDLP is fielding 36.

Stand up comic John McBlain, who has achieved notoriety in Northern Ireland for his impersonations of Mr Paisley and Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams, is contesting East Belfast.

Other candidates include former civil rights activist and journalist Eamonn McCann, who is running for the Socialist Environmental Alliance in Foyle, Fire Brigades Union leader Jim Barbour, who is the Socialist Party’s candidate in South Belfast, and prominent Orangeman David Jones in Upper Bann.

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy was due to lend his support to the cross community Alliance Party’s Assembly campaign at a rally in North Down.

Robert McCartney’s UK Unionists, who are fielding six candidates, were due to unveil its team which has been augmented by former Ulster Unionist Assembly member Pauline Armitage in East Londonderry and former Larne Mayor Tom Robinson in East Antrim.

Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew was preparing to unveil a new mural by her party’s youth wing, Ogra Sinn Fein in West Belfast.

Nationalist SDLP leader Mark Durkan was scheduled to launch a new billboard campaign before canvassing in North and South Belfast.

DUP strategists were focussing on the issue of schools and Martin McGuinness’s record as a Sinn Féin Education Minister during devolution.

East Antrim candidate Sammy Wilson was expected to blame the rival Ulster Unionists for Mr McGuinness taking the education portfolio in 1999.

Ulster Unionist director of elections, Jim Nicholson MEP was also due to launch an agriculture policy document alongside the party’s farming spokesmen George Savage and Billy Armstrong.

The Workers Party was also due to have a candidates launch in West Belfast.