DUP warns Blair against early Assembly election

British Prime Minister Tony Blair will receive “another black eye” from Northern Ireland voters if he tries to hold Assembly elections again early next year, he was warned today.

Democratic Unionist deputy leader Peter Robinson, whose party emerged the largest grouping in the Assembly after last Wednesday’s election, queried whether the UK government would be willing to force MLAs to go to the polls again in the event of a political stalemate.

The east Belfast MP, whose party overtook David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists as the largest grouping, said: “From our point of view in the DUP we would not have anything to fear from that kind of situation.

“However, I think it is a nonsense to suggest that the Prime Minister, having had one black eye after last week’s election, would go for another.

“You can imagine how the Unionist electorate would react were he to say that we had to have another election because he did not like how they voted.”

Mr Robinson was commenting as the DUP’s 30-strong Assembly team prepared to hold its first meeting at Stormont.

Mr Trimble was also holding his first meeting of his new Assembly group, which included more critics of his policies.

Rebel MPs Jeffrey Donaldson and David Burnside were expected to take part in their first meeting as Assembly members.

However, supporters of Mr Trimble were bullish ahead of the showdown, insisting the rebels would be told to toe the line or quit the party.

The Rev Ian Paisley’s DUP was also due to meet Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy at Stormont to discuss the way forward in the peace process following their election triumph.

Mr Robinson said DUP negotiators would be keen to establish whether discussions on the future operation of the Good Friday Agreement would address the issues his party had been mandated to pursue.

The East Belfast MP said: “We want to know that we are not going to be restricted or limited in how we deal with our supporters’ concerns.

“The government cannot ignore the fact that there is now a 2-1 majority in unionism who are arguing for change.”