UUP are bowing to pressure from decent people says Alliance Leader

11.16.29am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Aug 2006

Alliance Party Leader, David Ford

Alliance Leader, David Ford, has stated that the Ulster Unionists have bowed to pressure from decent people to break their grubby link to the PUP. His comments follow Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader, Danny Kennedy's statement that they will review their links with the PUP.

The South Antrim Assembly Member stated: "The Ulster Unionists are backtracking on their grubby deal with the representatives of loyalist paramilitaries.

"The Ulster Unionists are finally realising that decent people do not want the representatives of armed and active paramilitaries being absorbed into their party.

"Their blatantly greedy deal to capture an extra seat on the Executive has backfired on them and now they a planning a u-turn on their link with the PUP.

"I hope that the Ulster Unionists can now see how fundamentally wrong it is to absorb the representatives of armed and active paramilitaries into their party.

"It is just under 100 days since the UUP-PUP link was announced. Political leaders are often judged on their first 100 days, but in this case the dubious policy may not even last 100 days."

David Ford concluded: "Their deal with the PUP was for short-term gains and their decision to review it shows the poor political judgement exercised in making this disgusting move in the first place."

ENDS