DUP accused of forming “unholy alliance” with Sinn Fein at local council level by TUV councillor left out in the cold

Keith Ratcliffe, a TUV councillor on Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, branded fellow unionists in the DUP “shameful”, alleging they facilitated a bid by Sinn Fein to remove two unionists from the party leaders’ forum.

The two unionists in question were Independent Paul Berry and Mr Ratcliffe himself. They also proposed that SDLP Councillor Thomas O’Hanlon be removed from the group.

Mr Ratcliffe said the DUP voted in favour of the Sinn Fein motion in a previous meeting held in private, and on Monday night when the issue was revisited they “sat on their hands” and allowed the issue to be decided on Sinn Fein votes.

He said: “Those who sent the DUP to the council on the basis that they would stand up to Sinn Fein will doubtless be surprised that in private they are quite happy to side with republicans to remove fellow unionists and in public they hypocritically sit on their hands knowing that the proposal with pass as a result of their inaction.

“There has been no end of spin in relation to this matter and doubtless there will be more in the days ahead but the bottom line is that this is a case of the DUP and Sinn Fein deciding at the outset a new council term to form an unholy alliance.”

The DUP had put forward a proposal that membership of the forum be rotated between the two unionists, but Mr Ratcliffe said that “flies in the face of established practice”.

DUP group leader on ABC Council, Mark Baxter said: “Of absolute critical importance to this debate and the outcome of it, is the fact that as a gesture of good will, the DUP proposed an amendment which we feel was a very sensible way forward for independent members to join the forum on a rotation basis by forming a loose collaboration.”

He added: “In any event and regardless of the misinformation that has persisted on this issue, all 41 members of the council will be furnished information in the normal fashion has has always been the case. The DUP focus remains on the committees and the full council meeting where every decision is taken.”