Letter: The DUP should vote across the unionist family, as the TUV did

David Brooks, like many of his DUP colleagues, has either got a very short memory, or is setting out to mislead the unionist electorate (‘DUP: Unionists must avoid mistakes of 2022,’ May 2, see link below).

His comments in yesterday’s News Letter about vote splitting ignore the fact he only reached quota in the last assembly election because of TUV transfers. I am pleased that my votes last year pushed not just him but another unionist, Andy Allen, over the finishing line.

That was a situation replicated across Northern Ireland with no fewer than 10 unionist MLAs obtaining their seats through TUV transfers. Lack of transfers from other unionist parties cost unionism a seat in Strangford where TUV lost out to Alliance. Yet Mr Brooks takes it upon himself to scold the electorate for making a ‘mistake’ for daring to vote for any unionist party other than the DUP. His time would be better spent following the example of TUV voters in East Belfast who voted across the unionist family. That is how we secure the strongest unionist team on councils.

John Ross, Belfast BT6

DUP says unionist voters 'must not repeat the mistake of 2022' which handed Sinn Fein a majority in Stormont