UK's Tories urge Unionist voters to back new NI platform

Unionist voters in Northern Ireland were told today they could strengthen ties with Britain by backing the Conservative Party’s new political platform in the region.

Shadow foreign secretary William Hague will tomorrow address the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) annual conference in Belfast, with the two parties set to field joint candidates in the General Election.

Today Mr Hague described himself as a committed unionist and repeated his party’s pledge to bring future Northern Ireland MPs elected under the new banner into a British Conservative government.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s sole MP Lady Sylvia Hermon has so far, however, refused to back the new political venture.

There has also been tension among Tory ranks in Northern Ireland after a senior figure resigned from the new pact, claiming it had failed to embrace the “non sectarian and national nature” intended, and accused the UUP of hanging-on to a “little Ulster mentality”.

But Mr Hague said his party’s link with the Ulster Unionists would provide an influential voice for the people of the North.

“I am delighted to have been asked to attend the Ulster Unionist Party’s conference and I do so as a Conservative and as a committed Unionist,” said Mr Hague.

“I believe the coming together of our two parties as Conservatives and Unionists will allow Northern Ireland to take its rightful place in the mainstream of UK politics.

“We are giving voters here the chance to have a real say in the Government of the United Kingdom – a chance to help remove Gordon Brown from power and to elect help from Northern Ireland MPs who can play a full role in any future Conservative government.”

Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey welcomed Mr Hague’s decision to spell out his commitment to the Union and he said the new political venture provided a path for “normal politics” in the North.

“That is what the Ulster Unionist Party is offering – that is why we are delighted to invite William Hague to our conference and welcome our ongoing relationship with the Conservative Party,” said Sir Reg.

“We in the Ulster Unionist Party are able to offer the electorate something new – a move away from ’old’ politics to start looking at real issues.”

He added: “I believe we need to put Northern Ireland at the heart of the Union, sharing in the normal, mainstream politics of the rest of the UK. This is what the UUP and the Conservatives are working for.”

The Conservative Party has pledged to stand candidates in all of the North’s 18 constituencies as part of the pact.

The plan sparked criticism from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which claimed the move would split the unionist vote and ensure nationalists and republicans held seats in areas such as South Belfast and Fermanagh-South Tyrone.

UUP members in the South Belfast constituency have floated the idea of seeking an agreed unionist candidate, but this would step outside the joint UUP/Conservative initiative.

Under the parties’ agreement their separate constituency teams would select preferred candidates before a single name was agreed.

In the Lagan Valley constituency Daphne Trimble, wife of the former UUP leader David Trimble, has been selected by the Ulster Unionists as their choice to fight sitting MP, the Democratic Unionist Jeffrey Donaldson.

In North Down Ian Parsley, who left the Alliance Party after unsuccessfully standing as its European election candidate, has now been selected as the Tory choice for the constituency.

The North Down seat is currently held by Lady Hermon, who has yet to say whether she would support the new Tory pact or possibly stand as an independent.

The European elections provided the first political outing for the new joint banner.

Long-standing Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson held his seat in the poll and Mr Hague today predicted further success.

He said: “Jim Nicholson was the first piece of that jigsaw and I would like to congratulate Jim on his great campaign and tremendous result.

“Taking his seat in Europe as one of 26 Conservative and Unionist MEPs highlights what the relationship between the two parties can achieve giving the people of Northern Ireland a real, influential voice as part of a UK-wide political force.”

Meanwhile, the DUP offered a unionist pact to the Ulster Unionists today.

It also launched a leaflet campaign attacking David Cameron’s plans to fight for every Northern Ireland seat.

The DUP said splits in the unionist vote helped Sinn Féin take the Fermanagh-South Tyrone seat and saw the nationalist SDLP take the South Belfast seat.

The DUP is asking for the Ulster Unionists to agree a single candidate in each constituency to ensure a unionist victory.

The UK's Conservative leader Mr Cameron has said he will stick to his plan to stand UUP/Conservative joint candidates in every constituency and avoid any pan-unionist pact to freeze out nationalists.

In March, leading Northern Ireland Conservative Jeffrey Peel, who helped set up the pact with the UUP, walked away from the scheme.

He claimed the Ulster Unionists were using the tie-in with the Tories to raise cash and fight off a financial crisis.

Mr Peel also claimed too many Ulster Unionists were wedded to the party’s past and unwilling to embrace a new Conservative political platform that could reach outside its traditional unionist support.

The DUP leaflets released today picture party leader Peter Robinson beside the words: “The DUP is committed to having a unionist MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone.”

Next to an image of Mr Cameron, it adds: “Sadly, others are not.”

The DUP’s Arlene Foster said: “In 2005, we offered the UUP a choice of seats - they would pick one and we will contest the other. Unfortunately, Trimble and Empey rejected that offer and the result was that South Belfast and Fermanagh and South Tyrone were lost to anti-unionist candidates.

“Today, we renew our offer to the UUP. We will give them a clear run in one constituency of their choosing.”