Another Unionist defects to Tories

Another Ulster Unionist has defected to the UK's Conservatives, it emerged tonight.

Philip Smith, a former Ards councillor, quit the UUP in a bid to become involved in national politics.

His resignation follows Peter Bowles decision to leave the party in protest at its alliance at the Stormont Assembly with the Ulster Volunteer Force-linked Progressive Unionists (PUP).

The ex-mayor of Castlereagh Council and former UK Unionist representative Grant Dillon has also joined the Conservatives in Northern Ireland, along with businessman Tim Lewis.

The party claimed the coup for its membership showed it was only true mainstream political force operating in Northern Ireland politics.

Mr Smith, a UUP member since 1997, claimed others wanted to follow his decision.

He said: “I want the opportunity to vote for the next government, the next Prime Minister.

“The Conservative Party, under David Cameron, has invited people from Northern Ireland to join and play their part in building our country’s future.

“I am confident that I am joining many people in Northern Ireland who want to accept that invitation.”

His switch comes after Mr Bowles, a Down District Councillor and former Young Unionist chairman, left in protest, saying he did not want to be a member of a party with paramilitary connections.

The UUP’s only MP, Lady Sylvia Hermon, has also claimed the deal with the PUP cannot continue because of ongoing UVF violence.

The outlawed paramilitary organisation has been blamed for the assassination attempt on one of its former commanders, Mark Haddock, two weeks ago.

It has also refused to disarm, despite the IRA declaring it had abandoned its armed struggle.

But UUP leader Sir Reg Empey has pledged to stand by his strategy.

He brought PUP leader David Ervine into his Assembly Group in a bid to ensure there would be a majority of unionist ministers in a future Stormont executive.

But after Mr Smith confirmed he was leaving as well, an Ulster Unionist Party spokesman played down the significance.

He said: “I don’t think we are, by any stretch of the imagination, haemorrhaging support.

“It doesn’t strike me as much of a coup for the Conservative Party quite frankly.”

Jeffrey Peel, vice chairman of the Conservatives in Northern Ireland, expressed delight at the new members.

As well as the Ulster Unionist defectors, Mr Dillon spent 12 years on Castlereagh Council and was a Conservative Party member while living in Portsmouth during the mid-1980s.

Mr Lewis runs a recruitment business with offices in Northern Ireland, Glasgow, Prague and Warsaw.

“We are still not claiming to be the largest political party locally,” said Mr Peel.

“But we are, without doubt, the only political party that has real influence at Westminster.

“People locally are fed up with the pathetic excuse for politics currently being paraded at Stormont.

“Local politicians have difficulty even electing a chair for the Preparation for Government Committee.

“Meanwhile, the Secretary of State (Peter Hain) looks on in his usual patronising way when his own party doesn’t even have the guts to contest elections here.

“The situation is utter madness.”