Empey calls for "united unionist front" against republicanism

Leading Ulster Unionist Party figure Sir Reg Empey has made an appeal to the unionist community calling for an end to divisive "Yes/No" politics.

The trade minister made his appeal in the run up to the Ulster Unionist Council meeting on Saturday. Sir Reg said that it was time for all "unionists to re-assert themselves", and he targeted the assembly elections in May 2003 as the date to do so.

Sir Reg said that unionism had come under pressure from "arrogant" republican politicians following their electoral success last June's general election. Republicanism performed well in recent council elections, but it was during the general election that Sinn Fein polled more votes than the SDLP, making it the largest nationalist party in the north. In the current general election campaign in the Republic Sinn Fein have targeted seats in Kerry, Monaghan and Dublin constituencies.

However, Sir Reg maintained that this was mainly due to "poor unionist turnout and some cheating by republicans".

"Most of their progress has been handed to them on a plate by successive British governments," said Sir Reg who added: "Republicans are beginning to believe that they now constitute an unstoppable force that is on the verge of achieving its objectives."

Sir Reg conceded that the Good Friday Agreement was not necessary going in the direction that many had hoped, but he stated that a united unionist front would "correct any mistakes".

He said: "Our task in the next year is to raise unionist morale and confront the real enemies of the Union – republicans."

A spokesman for the DUP said that while the principle of unity was agreeable, there were questions that had to be answered on the nature of such an alliance.

"We have heard these calls before," the spokesman said. "But for such an idea to work it must be made clear – around which unionist would the parties gather and around which policy would they unite? David Trimble would not be able to inspire such an approach."

(GMcG)