Speaking to the Central Council of TUV, meeting in Lurgan, the Party Leader, Jim Allister, signalled TUV was fast approaching a state of readiness for an early Assembly election last night.
“Already several candidates have been selected and soon we will complete the process of providing a TUV candidate in every constituency.
“TUV has led the way in identifying the constitutional peril presented by the Iniquitous Protocol. When others saw the mirage of “opportunities”, we warned of its betrayal; when some foolishly thought it “sensible”, TUV highlighted the dangerous folly of embracing a regulatory border in the Irish Sea; when some thought customs checks posed no constitutional change, we called it for the Union-dismantling move it is; and when some thought the answer to the trashing of our east/west links was more north/souhtery, we called it out for the dangerous absurdity it was.
“The clarity and certainty of our stand has transformed TUV into the mainstream voice of Protocol opposition.
“Likewise, on Stormont the TUV analysis has been vindicated. A system, built on the self-destruction of the prerequisite of having at its top and heart a party dedicated to the destruction of Northern Ireland, will never work.
“Those who cling to this failed system offer only more of the same – the same dysfunctionalism, the same failure, the same deadlock, the same squander.
“On all these issues TUV is seen as “the real deal”.
“We also offer the real deal on guaranteeing no Sinn Fein First Minister: if Sinn Fein ever was the biggest party they can only be First Minister if they find some stooge unionist party to act as deputy. TUV is clear – we will not nominate a deputy to allow a Sinn Fein First Minister. The avoidance of that challenge by other unionist parties is telling, leaving voters, in those circumstances, with their guarantee against a Sinn Fein First Minister lying in making TUV the biggest unionist party.
“So, bring on the election”, Mr Allister told his Central Council.