TUV conference: RAF veteran Lorna Smyth confident of success in Lagan Valley

Lorna Smyth, a former servicewoman in the RAF, has predicted she may cause an upset in the constituency.

Ms Smyth said she only joined the TUV a year ago and would never have considered entering politics before or joining any of the two larger unionist parties.

She served in the RAF for 14 years and her tours of military duty also included her native Northern Ireland under Operation Banner.

On her prospects in Lagan Valley, Ms Smyth said: “With the decisions the DUP have taken recently I think this will impact on their electoral base. TUV has a real chance, not only in Lagan Valley but elsewhere across Northern Ireland. The DUP has lost a lot of its support base, as will the Ulster Unionist Party.

“I moved back home in 2019 and took my time over choosing which side suited my values, my principles, and it was always consistently the TUV that my principles matched with.”

Ms Smyth said the TUV attracted her because “the party stands up for unionism and against terrorists in government at Stormont.”

She added that the TUV’s opposition to abortion also persuaded her to join the party.

Darin Foster is another first-time TUV Assembly candidate in Upper Bann who only joined the party in 2019.

The Portadown chip shop owner said there has recently been a “massive surge in membership” in the TUV.

“I formed the new TUV branches in Upper Bann and Newry/Armagh. Both of these branches have had over a hundred applicants wanting to join.”

Mr Foster said he too had never thought about entering politics before.

“I’ve always been interested in politics, but I didn’t really think I would ever go into it. What made me enter politics was that you can’t criticise other people unless you are willing to do something about it yourself. The other unionist parties haven’t delivered for unionism and Jim has.”

The 26-year-old said he was “very confident” about springing a surprise in Upper Bann for the last seat.

“There are three unionist seats in Upper Bann and I believe one of them can go to the TUV.

“I have been on the doorsteps and people are telling you ‘I’m voting for the TUV this time’. They feel like I do that there has to be something done especially about the Protocol, which I believe is the straw that broke the camel’s back for unionism.

“People are saying the only way to save the Union is to vote for the TUV.”