Maximise the unionist vote, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson urges voters

The DUP leader said the Union will be strengthened by unionist parties encouraging the electorate to transfer to other pro-Union candidates.

He made his appeal for greater unionist co-operation while canvassing in West Belfast for DUP candidate Councillor Frank McCoubrey yesterday.

Sir Jeffrey described the Assembly poll as “the most important for a generation.”

He said: “Voters have a clear choice between our plan for fixing health, helping working families with the cost-of-living crisis, and growing our economy within the Union, and Sinn Fein’s divisive border poll plan. The election outcome will decide if Northern Ireland goes in the right direction or the wrong direction.”

Referring to Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald’s remarks on the BBC on Thursday night that the election is about a chance to advance “constitutional change”, Sir Jeffrey said:

“Make no mistake, if Sinn Fein win this election, their plan for a divisive border poll will be advanced.”

On co-operation on vote transfers, the DUP leader said: “I want to see pro-Union voters working together to see more unionists elected. If unionists want to see more unionist seats in the Assembly then they need to vote for it.”

He claimed that in West Belfast there is a unionist quota and that Councillor McCoubrey was best positioned to win it.

“I am encouraging all pro-Union voters, even those who don’t normally vote for the DUP to lend Frank their support.”

Sir Jeffrey continued: “It is most important in constituencies where unionism only has one seat, or where pro-Union representatives can gain an additional seat that voters maximise the impact of their ballot by voting DUP and then transferring to other pro-Union candidates.

“As unionist parties we share a great deal more in common than divide us. More effective co-operation is something I know unionists across Northern Ireland want to see, regardless of their party preference.”

In her BBC interview Mary Lou McDonald also said Sinn Fein will not change the titles of first and deputy first minister to “joint office of first minister” if the party wins the election to placate unionists.