Nelson announces Conservative decision at council. But it's not all good news from Ballymena!

Deirdre Nelson, the Ballymena councillor who recently defected from the DUP, has officially announced her intention to fulfil council duties as a member of the Conservative party. It is, admittedly, a little curious that Nelson’s disillusionment with her former party seems to date from Ian Paisley’s departure as leader. The North Antrim MP’s rabble rousing style hardly conformed to the inclusive, pan-UK unionism which the Conservatives espouse. But that is the type of politics which the councillor explicitly endorsed when she explained her decision to colleagues at the council’s offices at Ardeevin, according to the Ballymena Times.

“I have watched, with interest, the recent moves by the Conservative Party to begin to steer Northern Ireland away from sectarian politics into normal UK politics and to ensure that Northern Ireland fulfils (its) role as an integral and necessary part of the United Kingdom, in which all traditions are welcomed.

“This, coupled with the recent visit by David Cameron, has persuaded me that I wish to be an active and valued member of the Conservatives and, therefore, I am announcing with effect from today, I will sit as a Conservative councillor on Ballymena Council.

“I will, of course,” she added, “continue to serve my constituents to the best of my ability and, in time, I trust that they will see the wisdom of my decision.”


Alas the paper doesn’t carry good news in all its pages. Sport’s reporter, Stephen Alexander, confirms that ancient midfielder, Darren Lockhart, will join Ballymena United during the close season.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I suspect it was an attempt to further split the Paisley faction from the rest of the DUP.
18 June 2009 at 14:35
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