Former NI Tory chair quits saying party is a 'political corpse' in a 'meltdown of Chernobyl proportions'
A former chair of the NI Conservatives has quit the party, describing it as a “political corpse” and saying it needs to pack up and disappear.
Alan Dunlop, a wealthy local businessman, has written a resignation letter to the party, claiming it has become dysfunctional and out of touch, and “more interested in running barbecues than attracting voter support”.
A NI Conservatives spokesperson said the party doesn’t comment on current or former membership issues.
The local party had a humiliating performance at the recent general election, where all five of its candidates lost their deposits and secured just a few hundred votes between them.
Despite never having been an electoral force in Northern Ireland, it has enjoyed a relatively high media profile – with regular appearances on the BBC defending previous government policies.
In recent years, it has been riven with divisions over the NI Protocol – resulting in a number of resignations. The most high-profile was Gary Hynds, who left over the Protocol and subsequently went on to be elected to Lisburn and Castlereagh council as an independent.
Former members have described the local party as operating as a networking opportunity for members, but not being serious about electoral politics.
Mr Dunlop, who was Chair for some years, said in his letter: “The General Election performance was the final straw. The party put up five candidates who, between them, could attract a derisory 553 votes. By any yardstick, that is appalling and a huge embarrassment.
“This was political meltdown of Chernobyl proportions and the worst ever. Yet, weeks on from the drubbing at the polls, with five lost deposits, there has been no attempt to conduct an objective postmortem of what went so badly wrong.
“I think it’s time for the party in Northern Ireland to fold its tent and disappear. It is in terminal decline, caught in a political whirlpool with no ability to break free.
“The concept of creating a political entity that had the Union at its heart was the right course to adopt. We needed to move from the traditional ‘big beasts’ of unionism to create a new middle ground that was genuinely pluralist, accommodating and supportive of the Union.
“There is still a need for a party or movement that follows that principle but is free from the negative connotations of being yet another traditional unionist party. There’s a vast number of people who don’t vote, and many who do, but who hold their nose as they vote for one of the political party options that’s available.
“Northern Ireland Conservatives are irrelevant. Membership has fallen off and many of those who remain are disillusioned. I gave years of commitment and support to the party locally and it is with a heavy heart that I now say it’s time to move on.”