DUP’s Jim Wells: Transfer votes to other unionists but not Alliance Party

The South Down MLA intervened in the debate over potential pacts to warn unionists that the Alliance Party should not be viewed as a “soft unionist party”.

Mr Wells, speaking to the News Letter, suggested the best way for unionists to co-operate at the next Assembly election would be for voters to ensure they mark ballot papers in order of preference for unionist candidates of all parties.

“The way it’s going to work is that there will be enough unionist candidates for every available unionist seat – so if there are four possible unionist seats there will be at least four unionist candidates,” he said.

“In South Down, for example, there will only be one available, and there will be at least three unionist candidates.

“Therefore if you vote down the ballot paper for unionists there will be a unionist elected.”

He urged unionist voters not to consider awarding remaining transfers to the Alliance Party, saying: “Now, whether the next seat is SDLP or Alliance is academic because I see little difference.

“You could have said Alliance were the lesser of two evils 30 years ago, but not now.”

The South Down MLA had made similar comments in an interview with the BBC yesterday morning.

Responding, Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong said: “I know Jim doesn’t like the Alliance Party but personally I don’t like Jim’s type of politics.”

Mr Wells was speaking after the UUP leader Doug Beattie rebuffed suggestions unionist parties could enter an electoral pact.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had said, in an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, that he hoped the unionist vote would not be “fragmented”.

But Mr Beattie quickly ruled out joining any form of electoral pact.

Speaking to the BBC yesterday, Mr Beattie said: “I can be absolutely clear. There will be absolutely no pacts.

“I’m a confident unionist, I have a confident unionist message. I have a vis ion for the future which is inclusive and positive.

“I can’t be any clearer than that if we’re talking about pacts.

“But if we’re talking about working with people, if we’re talking about co-operation, if we’re talking about the good of the people of Northern Ireland then I’ll work with pretty much anybody around that.”

He continued: “I’m the leader, I set the direction. When I became the party leader I became clear I would not be doing pacts. Since I did that I have not had anybody in the party say otherwise.”

The UUP leader also ruled out forming any electoral pacts in a future Westminster election.