Robinson slams Trimble over 'honesty' comments

DUP Deputy Leader, Peter Robinson, has slammed David Trimble’s criticism of Jeffrey Donaldson, Arlene Foster and Norah Beare by saying that “no one in the DUP will be lectured by David Trimble about being honest with the electorate”.

Mr Robinson was reacting to comments made by the UUP leader yesterday following the defection of all three MLA's to the DUP. Mr Trimble called for a by-election in the Lagan Valley constituency saying Mr Donaldson had been elected on a UUP ticket.

However, the East Belfast MP said: "No one in the DUP will be lectured by David Trimble about being honest with the electorate. The electorate of Lagan Valley and Fermanagh and South Tyrone knew exactly where Jeffrey, Arlene and Norah stood before the Assembly election and gave them strong mandates on that basis. The same cannot be said for David Trimble.

"The fact that the unionist people couldn’t quite be sure what David Trimble’s position was, after having jettisoned election pledge after election pledge in the past, was a contributing factor to the UUP’s defeat at the polls in November. David Trimble needn’t tell me about let down and deceived voters for he has been letting down and deceiving unionist voters for years. His hypocrisy knows no bounds."

Yesterday's war of words between Mr Trimble and the Lagan Valley MP followed Mr Donaldson's high profile defection from the UUP to the DUP on Monday.

Mr Donaldson claimed he had no option but to resign from the party after Mr Trimble had orchestrated a move to have him expelled.

(MB)