DUP MLA declares: 'Unionists can no longer afford to be narrow-minded - we need to be progressive'

Cheryl Brownlee made the comments in an opinion piece for the most recent edition of the Orange Standard, the order's monthly magazine.

She had been a councillor in Carrickfergus since 2014, working closely with MLA Davy Hilditch, and when he stepped down last autumn shortly before dying from cancer she was selected to step into his role.

Her comments come after renewed talk from the DUP leadership of the need for unionism to broaden its appeal and show "unity" – something which has cropped up sporadically ever since it lost the mantle of "Northern Ireland's biggest party" to Sinn Fein in the 2022 Assembly elections.

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She wrote: "Ultimately if Unionism wishes to move forward, we all must use our positions for the betterment of all our communities.

"Narrow-mindedness is no longer an option, as a whole Unionism needs to modernise and unite to ultimately improve.

"Upon this solid base it can begin to move forward in a progressive, sustainable manner."

A week earlier, party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had written: "As leaders of unionism, we must realise that a demographic and political shift is taking place before our eyes.

"Either we close our eyes and ignore it or we recognise that we are no longer in a place where 70% of the population are red, white and blue British."

He added that "I value my Britishness... but I also value the Irish element of my identity", and condemned those "within unionism who seem more focused on seeking out heretics" than on "winning converts".

Earlier this year, the DUP also welcomed into its fold Michael Palmer, a former UUP candidate for Comber who describes himself as both gay and an athiest.

He stood just once for election, in 2019, polling poorly (318 first-preference votes, compared with 1,516 for the top performer in the town, Alliance's Deborah Girvan).

However he is very vocal online, where he is a prominent supporter of gay / transgender Pride parades.