William McCrea: It is important for North Down to have a unionist MP, and Alex Easton with the united support of the broad unionist family can beat Stephen Farry

Further to David Burnside’s intervention into the North Down contest (‘Tim Collins is head and shoulders above Alex Easton to defeat Alliance's Stephen Farry in North Down,’ June 26), I believe if the people of that area want an ‘absentee landlord’ MP, then they should vote for Tim Collins.

However, should the people of North Down want a hard-working Member of Parliament, with full knowledge of the needs of the community, then Alex Easton is the one to vote for.

Throughout this campaign it is evident that Tim Collins has struggled to grasp Ulster Unionist Party policy, never mind understand the needs of the local community in North Down. It is important for North Down to have a unionist MP, and Alex Easton with the united support of the broad unionist family can beat Stephen Farry. He is without doubt the unionist best placed to return a pro-Union MP for North Down.

It is evident that Sinn Fein has stepped aside in the four seats the Alliance Party are seeking to win in this election. This should be a wakeup call for unionists. Are we really to believe that this happened by chance? It is my opinion that the Alliance Party and Sinn Fein have an unspoken pact to neutralise the unionist voice in the next Parliament at Westminster. North Down can counter such tactics, rise to the challenge and elect Alex Easton to be their voice in Parliament.

Also remembering Mr Burnside’s record in South Antrim, once again the Ulster Unionists are seeking to take the electorate for fools.

Robin Swann suggests he wants to go to Westminster to resolve the crisis in the Northern Ireland Health Service. However, the truth is that a Member of Parliament from Northern Ireland is not permitted to raise any issue concerning the operation of the Northern Ireland Health Service, even in Northern Ireland questions, as it is a devolved matter under the competence of the Executive and Minister of Health at Stormont.

Mr Swann also suggests he will lobby for an increased health budget to be allocated by Westminster for Northern Ireland. Yet this too is a hollow promise. He ought to know that money for services in Northern Ireland, including health, comes in the form of the ‘Block Grant’ to be allocated by the Northern Ireland Executive at Stormont. So, if he had really cared about the health service and its present crisis and future prospects, then the place for him to be is in the Northern Ireland Executive.

Like many people, I am deeply disappointed that Robin Swann left his position as health minister without publishing a plan to fix the health service. We were told it would come, but it was not delivered. The decision to leave office was not in the interest of the Northern Ireland health service but was a personal choice.

Gavin Robinson and Paul Girvan fought during the last Parliament to expose the fact that Northern Ireland was not allocated funding according to need, and subsequently was being seriously underfunded. That has now been recognised at Westminster. The Executive at Stormont will allocate any additional finances to public services, of which the Northern Ireland Health Service and the Education Department should in my opinion, be primary recipients.

A lone voice UUP MP would not have achieved this progress on funding. Lone voices are lost voices at Westminster. Only a strong team, and a concerted and united effort can influence at Westminster. That is why I support Paul Girvan and a vibrant DUP team to lead the fight at Westminster working closely with Alex Easton from North Down.

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown, Ex for South Antrim & Mid Ulster with 25 years experience as MP