Unionism’s lone figure reassured by rise in his support

Unionism’s lone figure reassured by rise in his support

8 March 2017

A DELIGHTED Jim Wells triumphantly proclaimed the DUP is now the “authentic voice of unionism” in Northern Ireland after he secured his South Down seat, increasing his vote since last year’s Assembly poll by almost 2,800 votes.

He described the increase as “extremely reassuring” and explained it was in part down to the decision by leading Mourne unionist councillor Henry Reilly — who stood for the TUV in last year’s Assembly poll — urging his supporters to back the DUP man. 

Mr Wells described the decision as a “turning point in the election,” estimating he secured around 70% of the votes Mr Reilly polled last year to make him South Down’s sole unionist voice at the Assembly.

“I knew going round the constituency that I was the only candidate in Northern Ireland who was having a bit of a ball as people were lovely to me. We only had nine leaflets handed back to us and one dirty look and that was the only low point of our campaign. There was none of the antagonism, anger and brutality of everywhere else and I was so pleased about that,” he said.

Mr Wells said Sinn Fein’s turnout was nothing that he had expected, suggesting Republicans clearly used tactics to “scare their community” to come out and vote against his party leader Arlene Foster. He said Sinn Fein motivated its supporters to “come out and sink Mrs Foster,” describing its election turnout as “astonishing.”

He continued: “Sinn Fein saw this election as a way of breaking the back of unionism and getting rid of Arlene Foster, dictating to us who our leader was going to be and who would be First Minister. In that they have failed, Arlene is still there, strong and going forward.”

Mr Wells, who conceded his party was always going to lose some seats as a result of reducing the number of MLAs returning to Stormont, claimed the Renewable Heat Incentive issue was a “flame that never burned” in South Down and in other constituencies. He suggested many realised the furore over the so-called cash for ash scandal was nothing to do with heating, but about trying to get rid of his party leader, with DUP voters determined to stop this happening.

“Our total vote increased,” he continued. “The DUP has over 200,000 votes which is an excellent performance, but the shock here in South Down has been the Sinn Fein vote.”

Looking ahead to the all-party negotiations to form a new Executive, Mr Wells said he has been an Assembly member at Stormont for a long time, been through 17 elections, spending over 22-and-a-half years at Stormont and seen “crisis after crisis after crisis many of which people said could not be gotten around,” including policing and justice, decommissioning and welfare reform.

“We have negotiated many issues out of existence and they have been put to rest. What we are down to is more intense negotiations and as the party’s major players are back in Stormont we believe we have a strong negotiating team in place,” he said, insisting there will be no Irish Language Act.

“I am now the only representative of unionism at any level above council level for South Down and that’s a big responsibility I now take on my shoulders. The people who voted for me and the other unionist parties have to be represented as well. 

“For some it will be difficult that I am going to be their sole representative at Stormont and that is going to take a lot of hard work to represent those people who could not bear to give me their first preference votes.”

Mr Wells said he felt “bitterly sorry” for Harold McKee whom he had worked with extremely well, revealing he hoped the Ulster Unionist could have joined him at Stormont. The DUP man said it was “very sad for unionism” that it has only one seat in South Down.