Letter: This year, 2026, will be a critical scene setter for our 2027 elections
A letter from David McNarry (this letter first appeared in the December 31 2025 print edition of the News Letter):
In offering constructive criticism to the unionist party elitists, some home truths are necessary and need to be said.
Across the board there is boundless bewilderment at the aimless antics of political unionists – not least the shambolic disarray the split parties have walked themselves into. As things stand they are not fit for purpose to win elections.
2026,will be a critical scene setter for the 2027 assembly and council elections. The opponents will be the aggressive bear in the room - nationalist republicans. It will be electoral suicide should unionist be fighting unionist.
The absence of public trust and lack of confidence in political unionism is down to the parties alone. The evidence to date shows that between them, the DUP, UUP, TUV, do not have a coherent plan in their lockers.
Complacency and party self-interests are overriding the fulfilment of self-determination.
Malignant dividers ignore at their peril the total rejection of triple jeopardy. Splits do not compute when the overall unionist family preference is for a 'single unified umbrella political movement'.
Restoring authentic unionism and resuming control of Stormont is an obvious primary objective. Change is inevitable.
Most voters now recognise that unionist politicians can no longer sit in government under the current unstable arrangements.
Given the unacceptable state of affairs, it falls to Gavin Robinson as leader of the largest unionist party to act decisively.
He is advised in the best interests of unionism to take the issue of 'unified unionism' by the scruff of the neck, by initiating a 'unionist forum' – a D-Day deliberation defining for the foreseeable future a consolidated pathway for political unionism.
To which end, the parties need to contribute and stop shillyshallying. The public deserve the parties to reveal where they stand. Honesty will go a long way to putting what is wrong right.
A single agenda forum initiative scoping the creation of a 'new model for unified unionism' is the order of the day.
David McNarry, Ex UUP and Ukip MLA