Statement by TUV Cusher Councillor Keith Ratcliffe:
“Last night on ABC Council we had the shameful spectacle of the DUP facilitating a Sinn Fein bid to remove two Unionists from the Party Leaders’ Forum. Having voted in favour of a Sinn Fein motion to remove independent Unionist Alderman Paul Berry, the SDLP councillor Thomas O’Hanlon and I from the forum in a previous meeting held in private, last night when the issue was revisited they sat on their hands and allowed the issue to be decided on Sinn Fein votes.
“Those who sent the DUP to the council on the basis that they would stand up to Sinn Fein will doubtless be surprised that in private they are quite happy to side with Republicans to remove fellow Unionists and in public they hypocritically sit on their hands knowing that the proposal with pass as a result of their inaction.
“There has been no end of spin in relation to this matter and doubtless there will be more in the days ahead but the bottom line is that this is a case of the DUP and Sinn Fein deciding at the outset a new council term to form an unholy alliance.
“Given that Sinn Fein continue to defend and justify a campaign which saw the IRA deal with disagreement by way of a bullet in the back of the head I am not surprised that they were behind a proposal which removed the SDLP and two Unionist voices from the forum.
“What is less obvious is the DUP position.
“Here we have a party which obtained each and every seat it has on this council on the basis of the election slogan “Let‘s Build Unionism, not split it”.
“While I’m new to the council I’ve always thought that elected representatives were bound by their promises to the electorate.
“Others clearly take a different view.
“Some claim that they are merely bringing us into line with the practice in other councils.
“Tellingly, the Sinn Fein and the DUP are not suggesting that ABC council falls into line with Mid and East Antrim Council where the allowance for a group leader is 1/3 of what it is here.
“Importantly, unlike the DUP and Sinn Fein group leaders Councillor Berry, Councillor O’Hanlon and I were prepared to serve without any additional allowance.
“The DUP suggestion that a technical group be formed and that membership of the forum be rotated between the SDLP, Alderman Berry and I flys in the face of established practice within the council and they know as much.
“The bottom line is that the DUP have shown disrespect to their own voters. Page 22 of the 2023 DUP manifesto said:
“As unionist parties we share a great deal more in common than divides us. More effective cooperation is something unionists across Northern Ireland want to see, regardless of their party preference.”
“Last night Unionists did not find common cause but the DUP find themselves sitting on their hands to permit a Sinn Fein motion removing Unionists to pass – one which importantly they had previously voted in favour of in closed council.
“By doing so, they treated not just my electors in Cusher but every single person who voted for them on the basis that they would build unionism, not split it with contempt.”