Jim Wilson: It is the working classes who have sought unionist unity

Listening to BBC Radio Ulster Talkback on February 12 I heard Billy Hutchinson and Mike Nesbitt argue the need for a Unionist Convention, something I would support wholeheartedly.

However when Mike claims the credit , in partnership with Peter Robinson , for setting up the previous Unionist Forum in 2013, he is at best misguided and at worst rewrites history.

Peter claimed, on the steps of Stormont that this was the “greatest coming together of unionism in 50 years”.

Not only was I there, but myself and other selfless loyalists stood back to allow our politicians to take credit for this initiative, but enough is enough.

On a recent delegation in Dublin several months ago Mike again repeated this claim to those in attendance.

I challenged him then and again I challenge him now, it was me who personally initiated that forum with the full help and support from key figures within the loyalist working classes, such as Sammy Douglas and Mervyn Gibson who liaised with myself over several weeks, lobbying with people such as Peter Robinson to get the forum established.

This occurred as the flag protests had raised tensions considerably and I was talking directly with Peter and Mike to begin the process.

The first several meetings were fantastic and also included Jim Allister, who sat with us to formulate a way forward for the PUL (Protestant, unionist, loyalist) community.

However, Jim walked away and then Peter and Mike followed suit, not returning phone calls or attending discussions so that the forum crashed.

Perhaps big house unionism didn’t want to catch fleas of the working classes?

Jamie Bryson complained at the time that we were being used for the flag protests, it would seem he was correct.

Of course this wasn’t the only case in recent times when unionist unity was promoted by the loyalist working classes, when, to bring an end to ongoing self and party interests and bickering it was the loyalist ex combatants who convened a full and frank meeting, knocking their heads to gather to form a United Unionist Pact which delivered the maximum unionist gains in the election, perhaps that a story for another day

It is such a pity unionist leaders can’t put the country first and foremost and the party and their political career second when they see stars in their eyes.

I hope Billy has better luck than we did those years ago.

He will need it.

• Jim Wilson, who lives in east Belfast, describes himself as a working class unionist

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