TUV conference: DUP daughter explains why she is now standing for Jim Allister's party

​Anna Henry, 21, told the conference: “I find some things very important in life and the things that I find important are the things that the TUV are currently upholding, for one the Union, transparency and accountability, fairness for all and respect for our veterans and in particular those who have suffered at the hands of terrorists, be those wounds either physical or mental.

“Of course I do not for one moment forget our young service personnel who are fighting for the crown in foreign fields. I give them my respect.”

She continued: “One of the main questions I get asked is, ‘Why am I running for the TUV?’. The answer is really quite simple. TUV since its formation has not dropped any of its values. I alluded earlier to how one man, our party leader, still stands alone in Stormont and doesn’t falter. I alluded to how our councillors stood firm within Mid and East Antrim Council.

“I want to be a member of a party with values, standards with policies and who are principled unlike other parties like the one who agreed to release terrorists back onto our streets, or like another one who agreed to the removal of the Union Flag and whose elected representative Mr Honeyford claimed and I quote ‘Unionists are bred to hate Catholics more than corruption’.”

Another TUV council candidate, Anne Smyth, told the conference her own reasons for deciding to stand in Belfast.

“Politically, our capital city has fallen to republicanism,” she said. “Even leaving aside the Green Party’s four councillors, there are 27 nationalists as against 20 unionists.

“This has resulted in blatant discrimination in council spending.”

She added: “All the indications are that unionists on Belfast City Council, having reconciled themselves to their lowly status, have settled down to being grateful for such concessions as come their way on condition that they do not make any noise.”

Mrs Smyth also said: “The unbalanced priorities of Sinn Fein have created a city in which no decent person could take pride.”