Statement by TUV North Antrim Westminster candidate Timothy Gaston:
“As we enter the last few days of the election campaign the message on the doorsteps of North Antrim could not be clearer – people are fed up with politics in Northern Ireland. Fed up with the constant deadlock. Fed up with the lack of delivery. Fed up with crisis after crisis while no attempt is made to address serious issues such as the major job losses which have hit the constituency.
“Devolution has lurched from crisis to crisis rather than addressing the everyday needs and concerns of hard working men and women.
“Consider what has happened over the last few years.
“The Executive couldn’t meet for months because Sinn Fein demanded the devolution of policing and justice.
“No sooner was that crisis over than we had one over welfare reform with Republicans again the culprits.
“Then we had the cash for ash crisis.
“Now we have been without a government for half a year with MLAs being paid while having nothing to do in terms of day to day government and scrutiny. Why? Because Republicans demand that their wish list of an Irish Language Act, same sex marriage, “special status” post Brexit for Northern Ireland and movement on rewriting the past is delivered on.
“I have yet to meet anyone who will disagree with TUV’s basic argument which is that Sinn Fein is not in government to bring stable and durable devolution to this part of the United Kingdom. Rather they want to leave us in a constant state of crisis to feed their failed state narrative.
“It’s time to face reality. We cannot and will not move on to normal politics for as long as Sinn Fein are in the government of our Province.
“Yet the DUP have made it clear that a vote for them is a vote to re-establish the same old system and for them to go into talks with “no red lines” to the establishment of an Executive as their South Belfast candidate put it last night.
“A vote for TUV in this election sends a clear message that we have had enough. It sends a clear message that it is time to move on.
“Stormont has failed. It has proved poisonous to Unionism as the last election showed. It is a clear and present threat to the Union. Let’s wake up and recognise this reality before it is too late.”