Jim Allister announces election pact between his TUV and Richard Tice's Reform UK

Jim Allister KC MLA unveiled the pact at his party’s annual conference in Kells, Co Antrim on Saturday.

In a barnstorming keynote speech, that mocked the DUP’s acceptance of the Irish Sea border and was scathing about NI now having a first minister who defends past IRA violence, Mr Allister said that the TUV and Reform would fight seats across the province.

Mr Allister’s speech, which was at points interrupted by laughter and cheers, also criticised what he called the woke agenda, which, he pointed out, had just been defeated in two referenda in the Republic.

When he made clear the TUV’s support for Israel, there were shouts of approval and warm applause from delegates.

His unveiling of the pact with Reform UK was also met with thunderous acclaim from the audience, at the Rosspark hotel.

Mr Tice then spoke from the floor, criticising the Irish Sea border, the inability of politicians to define a woman and the loss of control over the UK’s borders and immigration.

Ben Habib, the former Brexit Party MEP who is now in Reform UK, also received thunderous support from delegates when he spoke. He said that he had reluctantly the “only way to get back our country is by obliterating the Tory party”.

He said that "it is greatly disappointing for me” not only to see a restored Stormont, but the way Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had gone about it.

He said that he “might have got head round it” if Sir Jeffrey had said that he was threatened with greater say for Dublin and other factors. But “sadly he didn’t do that” but rather he “joined the Tories in the lie that there is no Irish Sea border”.

There was loud applause when Mr Habib said that he lost faith in the DUP, and hence had returned to get involved in NI politics, having not wanted to become embroiled in divisions within unionism.

The link-up was warmly welcomed by critics of the current trading arrangements governing Northern Ireland. Baroness Kate Hoey said that while she would not be joining either party, she would campaign for both.

The former Labour MP also welcomed a unionism which operated throughout the whole country. She said “The link-up between Reform and the TUV is really really important. I expect the media in NI will generally try and play it down.

“But actually it could be a hugely important step forward for Northern Ireland to be linked much more, and have a pro-Union United Kingdom unionist party – that’s what we need”.

In his speech, Jim Allister said: “The fact the DUP has become Protocol implementers does not alter the legal and constitutional realities that the Union is being dismantled, though that process is, of course, made easier when unionists volunteer to inflict such damage on themselves.”

He said: “Having enthroned Michelle O’Neill as FM, she has gone on tour with her unelected Lady in Waiting in tow.

“Let’s be very clear: having fought not one, but two, elections on rejection of the Protocol, the DUP has no mandate for its return to Stormont and its somersault into Protocol implementers”

The TUV boss said there should have been a fresh Assembly election before the DUP re-entered Stormont.

“Having run away from that, however, they must face the electorate in the General Election.

"That is where their acceptance of the Irish Sea border, EU law, the suspension of Article Six [of the Acts of Union] and, yes, their fawning acceptance of Sinn Fein rule, will hit the road” he said.

“Unionists, who still refuse to take the knee to the Union-dismantling Protocol, must have the opportunity to have their say, remembering a Protocol implementer is a Protocol implementer whatever his party label”, said the North Antrim MLA.

Reform leader Richard Tice told delegates that the gap between the Tories and his party was around 6%.

He added: “The reason we are doing so well is because they lied.

"They lied about the Protocol, they lied about the Framework, they lied that they were going to reduce taxes” and “they lied to us about immigration”.

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