TUV election performance will test level of opposition to protocol, says leader

The TUV vote in the local government elections will be the “barometer of real opposition” to the Northern Ireland Protocol, party leader Jim Allister has said.

The local elections, taking place on May 18, will see 462 council seats contested across 11 councils in Northern Ireland.

The TUV won six seats at the 2019 council elections and are fielding 46 candidates for this election.

Speaking at the party’s manifesto launch at the Dunadry hotel in Antrim, Mr Allister said his party would be the test of the opposition to the protocol.

“The barometer of real opposition to this protocol and the ongoing dismantling of our Union, will be measured and significantly measured by the strength of the TUV vote,” he said.

“And that will have the consequence of putting necessary strength and holding necessary strength and injecting necessary strength into others.”

The protocol is a post-Brexit trade agreement opposed by the TUV for creating a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Mr Allister also said that the post-Brexit trading agreement would be the “dominant theme” for unionists at the local election.

“Whereas these are council elections, and people of course want to and should elect dependable representatives, undoubtedly within unionism the dominant theme and issue pertains to be the protocol,” he said.

“And that should be no surprise because the protocol is and remains a direct threat to the very existence of our Union.”

He added: “So it has been the clarity of the TUV message on that which I believe has enabled us to harvest support in this election.”

The TUV manifesto rejects the Windsor Framework, describing it as the “Windsor Whitewash”.

The Stormont Assembly is currently not operational due to the DUP’s protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements, including the Windsor Framework.

Mr Allister said returning to Stormont was an “impossible price” for anyone who cares about the Union.

“I hear commentators say when the election’s over, the DUP position, whatever exactly it is, will soften, they will return to Stormont,” he said.

“Let me be very clear, to return to Stormont is to accept the protocol.”

He added: “That is an impossible price for anyone that cares about the Union to pay, and that will be as impossible a price for those who care about the Union on May 19 as it will on May 18.

“And therefore, in the certainty of the TUV message, people can grasp and realise that they needn’t worry or fret about the TUV’s position wilting after the election, they needn’t worry and fret that they will hear and see different actions from the words that precede the election.”

The TUV party manifesto proposes controlling rates rises, by putting rates rises above a set percentage to a referendum in the area.

The manifesto also states the party stands for traditional family values and opposes the “destruction of the unborn and the dilution of marriage and gender identity as determined at birth.”