Doug Beattie urges voters to back UUP for a 'better future' for Northern Ireland
Doug Beattie says his party is best placed to deliver the change he says the public are crying out for – arguing the DUP have placed Northern Ireland in “its’ worst position in a hundred years”.
The Ulster Unionist leader says Sinn Fein won’t take their seats and the Alliance Party don’t even know what a woman is.
In his eve of poll message to Northern Ireland’s voters, Mr Beattie said that over recent weeks, Ulster Unionist candidates and supporters “have knocked tens of thousands of doors and engaged in towns and villages right across Northern Ireland”.
He said “The resounding message coming from those we have spoken to is that Northern Ireland wants change.
“Change in how Northern Ireland is represented at Westminster, change from those whose only contribution is to abstain or complain.
“Sinn Fein will not take their seats, the DUP have placed Northern Ireland in its’ worst position in a hundred years, creating a sea border that separates us from the rest of the UK.
“The Alliance party are not sure what they want, they are not even sure what a woman is”.
He said that voters have a choice on Thursday “to vote for change, to return excellent candidates to Westminster who will stand on a platform of championing all that is good about Northern Ireland”.
The UUP boss said his candidates “will stand strong on calling for the new government to provide what is required for our health service, our schools and our most vulnerable and excluded citizens”
He argued that voters can “vote for change that will improve your life, your community and create a better future for all across Northern Ireland” and urged them: “Vote Ulster Unionist”.
As with the other unionist parties, Mr Beattie this week made the model by which Northern Ireland is funded a key priority for the party.
He said the first act of UUP MPs on Friday “will be to call on the new Government to enter immediate discussions to provide an urgent financial uplift to cover the in-year deficit across all Executive Departments” – an issue he said previous MPs “failed to address”.