TUV conference: party considers future

Taking place in Cookstown, the TUV conference was overshadowed by the murder of local man David Black.  Members’ thoughts also turned to the future of the small party.

Taking up his usual themes, Jim Allister’s unscripted speech condemned Sinn Féin, mandatory coalition, waste in government and the Executive’s economic performance. UKIP deputy leader Paul Nuttall, the guest speaker, proposed an electoral pact for the 2014 European poll.

A formal opposition appeared to be the TUV’s final goal. Allister stated:  “The sooner the SDLP and UUP recognise they are but their doormats in government, re-discover their dignity and independence, and step out to distinguish themselves in opposition, the sooner will this fundamental of democracy return to Stormont.”

The TUV has not yet decided whether to run for Europe.  Nuttall hoped that the two parties “can come together and come to some agreement.”  UKIP has focused on the province as it is keen to strengthen its ‘UK’ credentials.  In the 2009 European election, 94.1 per cent of UKIP voters were English.

Furthermore, Nuttall claims that Northern Ireland is the most Eurosceptic part of the UK.  The view has not been tested in the Life and Times Survey since 2002 but, at that point, only 6 per cent of those surveyed wanted to leave the EU.  The two parties gained 20,632 votes in the 2011 Assembly election: 16,480 for the TUV and 4,152 for UKIP.