ULSTER UNIONIST Party leader Tom Elliott has dismissed a claim the party has made a mistake in rejecting an offer to merge with the British Conservative Party. The UUP will not be disbanding, he insisted yesterday.
Lord Feldman, the co-chairman of the Conservative Party, said the merger opportunity, which has been under discussion for several months, was a bold offer and was “warm, generous and sincerely made”.
The merger talks broke down in recent weeks. While there was some support for such a move, many UUP members were mindful of how the link-up with the Tories through UCUNF (Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force) proved disastrous, with the party failing to win any seat in the 2010 British general election.
Lord Feldman said despite the rebuff the Conservatives would “reconstitute” local party structures in Northern Ireland – similar to the way they operate in Scotland and Wales – and he also made clear they would fight elections in the North.
“This was no takeover bid, but potentially a full merger of two political parties, each with their own history and traditions while sharing a common culture of centre-right ideas and beliefs,” said Lord Feldman.
“Under our proposed terms, Ulster Unionists, as part of the new party, would have had a voice at the centre of the Conservative Party, a seat on the party board, the chance to vote for the leader of the Conservative Party, and full access to the campaigning resources of the party,” he added.
“Despite interest from a number of politicians and voters, the UUP has rejected this opportunity. We think this is a mistake,” Lord Feldman wrote in an article in yesterday’s Belfast Telegraph.
In explaining why the UUP had rejected the offer, Mr Elliott said he remained convinced there was still considerable support for his party. “Whilst electoral fortunes ebb and flow, last May we saw 16 Assembly Members and 99 councillors elected under the Ulster Unionist banner.
“We are represented on all 26 of Northern Ireland’s local councils and received more than 100,000 votes in last year’s local government elections,” he said.
“I have absolutely no intention of disbanding this party,” he added.