Trimble offers warning.

Unionist Lite unfolds the saga of Brian Walker and Sir Reg Empey. O'Neill likens Walker to teenager, half-cut on a tin of Woodpecker. It is, you'll agree, an alluring image. I have recorded my thoughts on this character before. It is scarcely believable that he was a professional journalist. More on Bobballs - who calls it like it is - random bollocks.

Another piece worth reading is Daphne Trimble's call to Ulster Unionists not to 'give in to DUP manipulation'. It is a timely warning at a crucial juncture.

At St Andrews the DUP insisted on an amendment to the 1998 Belfast Agreement that provided that the leader of the largest party at Stormont was to be the First Minister.

This was no gaffe. It was a deliberate ploy to be used in the very situation we now find ourselves.

And we are in danger of falling for it.

The prospect of a Sinn Fein First Minister would be tough for the Unionist electorate. The DUP have used this spectre in the past to blackmail the electorate into voting for them.
Now that their star is waning, and Unionism may be split three ways, they are using the same argument to try and do a deal with us so that they can hold on to something.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Daphne's quite right. there is no way the UUP should deal with the DUP. Have the last laugh
26 January 2010 at 19:15
Anonymous said…
It is hard to believe that the UUP Treasurer, Chairman and 2 MLAs could be so naive (or stupid). The DUP are on the canvas waiting to be counted out and they throw water over them give them smelling salts and help them to their feet aided and abetted by Owen Paterson.

It is not often that 5 people exibit such mind boggling arrogance to think they
represent mainstream unionism
26 January 2010 at 22:06
GUBU said…
I wouldn't do the proverbial on them if they were on fire...
If the shoe was on the other foot, they would be extracting every ounce of political advantage from it, without a care for unity, co-operation, realignment or whatever you want to call it. The UUP needs to be a voice, not an echo.
27 January 2010 at 18:07
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