McNarry quits UUP assembly group

Published Friday, 27 January 2012

Ulster Unionist Strangford MLA David McNarry has resigned from the party's Stormont assembly group.

It is understood his resignation follows an internal party row with the UUP leader Tom Elliott over possible co-operation with the Democratic Unionist Party.

Mr McNarry is understood to have held a secret meeting with the DUP on the issue of a possible re-alignment of unionist politics.

On Friday, Mr Elliott withdrew him as the party's Deputy Chair of the Education Committee at Stormont.

Tom Elliott told David McNarry he was withdrawing him as vice-chair of education committee but not taking away party whip.
— Ken Reid (@KenReid_utv) January 27, 2012

In a statement, Mr McNarry said: "This evening Tom Elliott, the Ulster Unionist Leader, informed me by telephone that, because of an article in last Monday's Belfast Telegraph, he was removing me as Deputy Chair of the Assembly Education Committee but not withdrawing the party whip.

"In response, I informed him that, in that case, I was, with immediate effect, resigning from the Ulster Unionist Assembly Group."

Mr McNarry has been a senior member of the party at the Assembly for many years and was a former chief whip.

In a statement, a UUP spokesperson said: "We can confirm that David McNarry was today removed by the Party leader as vice chair of the Education Committee.

"We are aware of the media reports that David has resigned from the Ulster Unionist Assembly group, but at this stage neither the Leader nor the Party have received formal notification from David of his resignation."

Comments

7 Comments

ManWithAPlan in Glengormley wrote (116 days ago):

The longer Tom Elliot tries to delay the inevitable Unionist realignment, the less leverage he will have to negotiate an advantageous settlement with the DUP, who'll eat the UUP for breakfast, with room to spare! Unionism should be one broad-church party once again, it's not about getting more seats here or there, it's about unity of purpose, period...!

Stevo the Magnificent in NEWTOWNABBEY wrote (116 days ago):

Ladies and gentlemen, if you want to witness what a political party looks like in the process of terminal disintegration, then behold the current saga that is the Ulster Unionist Party! The unionist camp split in the late 1960's over the modest reforms being proposed by Terence O'Neill, but those days are long gone (as is O'Neill), times are very different, and it's high time the unionist parties grow up and merge in to a single, united, cohesive, and unapologetically right-leaning party that can take the fight to the combined forces of liberalism, socialism, secularism, and relativism with bare knuckles drawn - and David McNarry could be a leading light in that new party!

Billy in Belfast wrote (116 days ago):

People are quick to judge the U.U.P. and make comments about the Party Leader and his remark at the election count, oh how short their memories are!!! I seem to remember another Party clearly and unequivocally state they would never sit in Government with terrorists??? I also remember Mr McNarry put a motion before the Assembly, Armed Forces Bill which would of brought Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the U.K. but unfortunately that same Party never backed this whilst claiming to support the Armed Forces. Mr McNarry is a man of impeccable integrity and whilst this in blown out of all proportion people should calm down and remember that it wasn’t the U.U.P. who are refusing to address bread and butter issues, nor underrepresenting the ordinary and working classes of all sections of the communities. When you point your finger you have three pointing back at you!!!

ZZ in Belfast wrote (117 days ago):

Good for you Mr McNarry!!! Alot of think that one unionist party is the right thing to do, one that promotes peace and recognises the rights of EVERYONE in Northern Ireland, especially if Sinn Feinn don't play ball and try to work out a long term peace plan for here that will last for many many years to come, there refusal to give up on a united ireland is still not fully promoting peace and a shared future....

truthful statement in omagh wrote (117 days ago):

this party is in meltdown-the public cringed as they saw elliott rip and roar at the election count-there is internal strife and frankly the politics are boringly vintage-the dup are doing government and serving purpose whilst the uup are floundering-time to go uup!

More Comments

^ Top of Comments