Ulster Unionist MLA warns division 'achieves nothing but failure' - and says party leadership has his full support
Steve Aiken has offered his full support to his party’s leadership – saying the events which have embroiled the Ulster Unionists over the past week “should not have occurred”.
The former leader has also reminded members that Jon Burrows and his deputy Diana Armstrong “were the only ones to put their names forward” in a contest earlier this year.
Mr Aiken says that the UUP must now focus on providing an alternative for people “fed up with ‘wokeism’ from Alliance and Reform rightism” from the other unionist parties.
His comments came after a bruising week for the party and its leadership, after Doug Beattie quit with a scathing attack on Jon Burrows last Sunday.
At the weekend, Mr Burrows said the events had “tested” the party, but its members want a party with “confidence, cohesion, and a willingness to modernise while staying true to our principles”.
Mr Beattie’s resignation followed months of tensions within the MLA group at Stormont, none of whom sought the leadership, but a majority of whom are unhappy with Mr Burrows.
In an email to his local UUP members at the weekend, Steve Aiken said “we will all have been disappointed by this week’s party political developments”.
The South Antrim MLA added: “Rather than us getting stuck in on the Alliance Parcel Tax, and also pointing out the faults in Naomi Longs terrible Justice Bill, we have become the focus of our febrile media”.
Under a heading of “supporting our Party Leader and Party”, he said that while it “should go without saying”, Jon Burrows “is our Party Leader - he and Diana were the only ones to put their names forward - we have all ratified them and they both have my, and hopefully your full support”.
He said the focus should “rapidly return to regaining our position as the confident and rational leaders of Unionism and “providing an alternative for all those fed up with ‘wokeism’ from Alliance and ‘Reform’ rightism from the other two unionist parties.
“We have a good message to sell, but being divided achieves nothing but failure.
“It is incumbent on us all to manage our difficulties internally - we are a passionate party driven by our strong believe on what is best for our precious Union”.
He said the party needed the “unstinting support” of its members to make its 2027 Assembly campaign a success.