Union willgrow even stronger says Swann

Mr Swann was speaking at a fund-raising breakfast organised by the party’s West Tyrone Association on Saturday in Edenderry, Co Tyrone, ahead of the Westminster by-election in the area on May 3.

“My unionism is not a brand of unionism which stokes fear into unionists to get them to vote or shows disrespect to others with derogatory comments, childish behaviour or seeks to poke others in the eye,” he said.

“My unionism, the Ulster Unionist Party`s unionism, is an embracing unionism.”

He added: “We are part of a vibrant nation, a health service which is free at the point of delivery and are part of the fifth largest economy in the world. This is a Union worth having.”

The party leader called for “a single education system” and lamented that an agreed victims candidate had not been possible.

Voters need a unionism that shows “respect and tolerance to all people, but at the same time is firm and steadfast in its promotion of the Union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” he added.