Ulster Unionist party working for Fermanagh

Commenting today Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party Sir Reg Empey commended the UUP candidate in Fermanagh Basil Johnston on his continued hard work on the ground in Fermanagh.

"Basil has been doing an excellent job - he is the person who is working for the people of Fermanagh - he is on the ground working on constituency issues and as a full time councillor he will be able to concentrate his time solely on this."

"In no other part of the UK is it conceivable that a minister who resigned from her local Government seat because of her workload would then try and regain the same seat some 14 months later which demonstrates the shallowness of the DUP's approach to the by-election."

"The question remains, do people want to full time councillor like Basil Johnston or do they want a part timer like Arlene Foster? Fermanagh deserves much more than a part timer. And as recession looms, Northern Ireland deserves much more than a part time Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment!

"The DUP claim that she is the only unionist who can save the seat - As Environment Minister Arlene Foster made the decision to merge the Fermanagh Council with the Omagh Council. That decision will actually increase republican influence over your everyday lives."

Commenting on securing the unionist vote, the UUP Leader added: "We would like to stress our support for the full use of the Proportional Representation system in pulling transfers amongst unionism. The fact remains however that the DUP holds no credibility having reneged previously on their promises while in the middle of doing a deal on the devolution of policing and justice which unionists do not want at this stage."