Parties agree electoral pact over MEP seat

The Ulster Unionist Party today made a pact for next year’s European election with former Democratic Unionist MEP Jim Allister, who is seeking to retain the seat he won when still in the DUP.

The bid to freeze out the DUP was agreed at a face-to-face meeting between UUP leader Reg Empey and Allister, who now heads the tiny Traditional Unionist Voice party.

Northern Ireland returns three MEPs, traditionally one UUP member, one DUP member and one nationalist – at the last election Sinn Féin wrested the seat from the SDLP.

In a clear bid to stop the DUP getting back the seat, Mr Allister took from them when he walked away from the party over its decision to go into government with Sinn Féin, Empey and Allister agreed to recommend supporters transfer votes between the UUP and TUV in the PR election.

After a meeting between delegations from the two parties, a joint statement said they had a worthwhile and cordial engagement and looked forward to continuing contact.

It added: “With the European Election, as the next scheduled, coming up in June, we agreed on the priority of retaining two unionist representatives in Europe.

“This should be the overriding priority of all unionists in respect of this election. Such is only attainable by full utilisation of transfers between the unionist candidates.

“Thus, we agreed to recommend such a voting strategy to all unionist voters.”