Alliance joins calls for SF to end ‘inflammatory nonsense’ over voting register

Mrs Long was commenting after Sinn Fein posted an online video with the claim: “The British Government is planning a mass purge of voters in the North. This is a blatant attempt to suppress the voice of citizens in next year’s historic assembly election.”

In response, the NIO tweeted: “This is not true. Canvass is not about removing people, but ensuring the register is as accurate as possible. Registering to vote is fundamental to the democratic process and people cannot remain on the NI register indefinitely without refreshing their registration.”

On Thursday, the Alliance leader tweeted: “An accurate, up-to-date electoral register is an essential basis for free and fair elections.

“Logistics are complicated by Covid, but direct mail isn’t affected: people will have access to retain/update their registration. Framing this as a purge is inflammatory nonsense.”

In a statement, Alliance MLA Andrew Muir said: Having the electoral register being up to date and accurate is a cornerstone of democracy and an essential basis for fair elections.

To frame the electoral canvass as Sinn Féin have is inflammatory scaremongering and should be withdrawn.

Earlier on Thursday, Ulster Unionist MLA Robbie Butler said: “Here we have Sinn Fein seeking to undermine our own democratic process with inflammatory language, and that is utterly shameful from a leading party of government.”

DUP MP Gavin Robinson has said his party is considering an official complaint to Twitter – putting the case that the Sinn Fein video breaching social media rules on posting deliberate misinformation.

The SDLP has said a party delegation is due to meet the Electoral Commission to discuss the issue but has declined to say if the party shares any of the concerns raised by Sinn Fein.

New UK-wide legislation introduced in 2010 required the register to be updated at least every 10 years, however, this was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.

READ: NIO blasts Sinn Fein over ‘untrue’ claims around electoral register

READ: UUP - Sinn Fein electoral roll claims the ‘very definition of fake news’

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