UTV series ‘Eamonn Mallie Face to Face with……’ continues with the journalist and writer sitting down with the former leader of the PUP, Dawn Purvis.

Purvis chats about her family background and growing up in the Donegall Pass area of Belfast, saying that as a young child, in the early 1970s, she was very aware of the areas she would be safe in, and those that were dangerous.

“My borders were the top of my street and the bottom of my street.”

She talks about leaving school with very little education and how she got involved with her local community by setting up a mother and toddler group in the area. She found a space, fundraised and expanded the group eventually into an after schools club.

When Eamonn asks her about her foray into local politics and the PUP, she says came into it ‘by accident’.

She says that PUP’s project was to bring paramilitarism to an end, and on learning more about David Ervine and his approach, she said this was a ‘breath of fresh air’ for her.

Eventually becoming party chair, she describes how the unexpected death of Ervine led to her becoming leader of the party.

She knew she had to deal with the UVF but was hopeful at the time, saying: “They were on a path – they were moving forward – I had hoped that that moving forward would be decommissioning and then eventually demobilisation.”

Purvis also covers her reasons for quitting as leader of the party. She says: “Bobby Moffett was shot - it was just completely wrong – I was not going to be an apologist for UVF violence.”

She adds: “David’s dream, David’s political project was to bring paramilitarism to an end… and transform working class communities so they would thrive………I was trying to do politics with one hand tied behind my back, and it’s impossible to move forward in those circumstances .”

Purvis highlights having to take care of her personal safety while she and David were in negotiations to end the loyalist feud.

“When I left the house in the morning I wasn’t sure I was going to come home to the house in the evening…..It was terrifying.”

When talking of the impact of David Ervine and Gusty Spence, she refers to them as two of the top people that inspired and mentored her.

“They were two individuals who had been through so much but yet they wanted Northern Ireland to be a better place for everyone.”

Eamonn asks her why loyalism hasn’t made the same progress within their communities as Sinn Fein in recent years. She says, “They did a pretty bad job of selling and implementing the Good Friday Agreement.”

And then, “People get what they vote for – unionism hasn’t demonstrated to the unionist population that it is serious about building a Northern Ireland of equals.”

Purvis says she’s “still very interested in politics”

"If there was a party that had the principles and values that I hold dearly… that’s something I would think about.”

“My feelings for this place……haven’t changed at all.”

The Dawn Purvis episode airs on Tuesday, March 28 at 10.55pm on UTV.