Unionist parties must work together to return to ‘winning ways’ – DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

Last year's assembly election saw Sinn Fein overtake the DUP to emerge as the largest party at Stormont. Recent opinion polls suggested Sinn Fein will also top the poll in the local government vote next Thursday, when 462 seats will be contested across 11 councils in Northern Ireland. Sir Jeffrey told the PA news agency that the party was "pleased" at the reception they had been given at the Balmoral Show on Friday.

The DUP has been criticised by other parties and workers for not returning to the powersharing institutions after more than a year's absence amid a cost-of-living crisis. The party has insisted it will not re-enter devolved government until concerns around post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland, including its place in the UK's internal market, are assured.

Asked whether the potential benefits of the dual market access in the Windsor Framework for the agri-sector had been raised with him at the show, Sir Jeffrey said that concerns remained about the new trading arrangement. "Well, I think we've heard from the farmers' union, from the Federation of Small Businesses here who I've met and indeed from others that they continue to have concerns about key elements of the Windsor Framework.

"And I think they want to see those aspects properly addressed. They are concerned, for example, if UK law changes in the future will that affect our ability to trade with the rest of the UK and they want assurances on that. "And that's what we're seeking to achieve, that Northern Ireland's ability to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom is properly protected in UK law."

When asked about criticism from the TUV during the week, who claimed that in a proportional representation (PR) election the vote cannot be split as long as voters transfer to other unionists, Sir Jeffrey said that splits have happened before. "The reality is this, in the assembly elections, unionists got 42% of the vote, Sinn Fein got 29% of the vote, and yet Sinn Fein emerged as the largest party. "Even the TUV can do the sums on that."

The DUP won 21% of the first-preference vote in last May's assembly election while the Alliance Party won 13.5%, the UUP won 11%, the SDLP won 9% and the TUV won 7.6%. People Before Profit won 1% of the vote, holding one seat. "The reason Sinn Fein won is because of unionist splits and divisions," the DUP leader said. "In North Antrim constituency, there were four unionist quotas and yet only three unionist seats. Why did we lose a unionist seat in North Antrim? Because there weren't enough transfers from the TUV. That's the fact, that's the reality.

"And so it's not true to say in a PR election, unionists can't lose seats. "They can, they have, and if we want to get back to winning ways, then unionism needs to be more united. "We need to ensure that votes are transferred, and what I am saying on behalf of the DUP is that if you vote DUP, transfer your votes to the other unionist parties. "And I'd like to hear more of that from some of the other unionist parties."

On Thursday, TUV leader Jim Allister said his party was "clear - we ask for your number one vote with further preferences to all other pro-Union candidates. In that way no vote is wasted". "It is highly regrettable that others are not as clear on this vital point," he added.