Unionist tells DUP to 'stop whingeing'

A senior Ulster Unionist has told the hardline Democratic Unionist Party to "stop whingeing" as they run the risk of becoming better known as the "Drowning Under Pessimism" party.

Ulster Unionist negotiator Michael McGimpsey launched a blistering assault on the DUP urging them to "stop whingeing, stop attacking fellow Unionists and show some courage".

The South Belfast assembly member said the DUP should focus on the Republican movement and not spend "most, if not all of their time, attacking fellow Unionists in the Ulster Unionist Party".

He added: "They make more mentions of us in their press statements than they do of the IRA and Sinn Fein. That should tell people a lot about their sincerity. It should tell people that they're more interested in rather feeble attempts at point-scoring than defending the Union. Theirs is the politics of fear. They appear to live in a perpetual state of panic."

Mr McGimpsey went on to accuse the DUP of avoiding the difficult decisions and offering nothing except "a big 'No'".

"In place of leadership and courage, the DUP revel in telling us all that things are bad, and going to get even worse. All they have done is demoralise the Unionist community. They should stop whingeing; stop attacking fellow Unionists who are trying to build a better future and show some political courage," he said.

At the weekend, DUP leader Dr Ian Paisley had strong words for UUP leader David Trimble, urging him not to "further test the patience of the Unionist community by agreeing to reinstate Sinn Fein/IRA into the Executive".

He said that the suspension of the devolved institutions by the Secretary of State and "the collapse in unionist support has condemned the Belfast Agreement to the political dustbin". Dr Paisley went on to say that the pro-agreement parties are "flogging a dead horse by seeking to revive it".

"The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party would be well advised to recognise the flawed analysis he has been pursuing. His course of action has advanced the Republican agenda further than many could have imagined. Four more years of Trimble will, I believe, bring us past the point of no return for Unionism," Dr Paisley said.

(GMcG)