Unionist electorate wants DUP to win, says Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

The DUP leader said that if the electorate make his party the biggest political force after May 5, then they and they alone will be able to frustrate Sinn Fein’s designs for a border poll.

Speaking at the DUP election launch in a cinema complex at Dundonald on Monday, Sir Jeffrey said: “When the DUP re-entered government at the beginning of 2020 we did so on the basis of ‘New Decade, New Approach’.

“Fundamentally at the heart of ‘New Decade, New Approach’ was a commitment by the UK Government to restore and protect Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom and the UK internal market. Now the UK Government has not delivered on that and until they do I will not be going back into the Executive which is required to implement a Protocol that harms Northern Ireland every day.”

On recent opinion polls showing the DUP falling behind Sinn Fein, Sir Jeffrey said: “The message coming across on the doorsteps is that the unionist electorate want the DUP to win. They are getting behind us and I believe that we are going to win.”

He added: “I want unionism to win this election and that is by voting for the DUP, giving us your first preference and then transferring your votes to other unionist candidates. Because I believe unionism can do better in this election.”

Sir Jeffrey said that Sinn Fein coming first on May 5 would “give them a platform to promote their All Ireland agenda”.

The only way to stop that was voting for the DUP, he said.