Ulster Unionist deputy Leader Robbie Butler MLA has said that Alliance’s call for clarity on a border poll tells us more about their shifting position than they might intend.

Commenting on the Alliance Leaders' Comments Robbie Butler MLA said;

“The Alliance Leaders call for the Secretary of State to outline the conditions for a border poll is revealing; not just in what it asks, but in what it avoids. It’s striking that a party which has long claimed constitutional ‘neutrality’ now seeks clarity on a process that would fundamentally reshape Northern Ireland’s place in the Union. The irony is hard to miss.

“Alliance’s demand for transparency from the UK Government stands in stark contrast to their own refusal to be honest with voters about how they would approach a border poll campaign. Ms Long has previously suggested her party might “step back” from taking a position altogether; yet behind the scenes, many suspect a quiet shift in constitutional ambition. That suspicion is not unfounded. The pre-election fence sitting increasingly looks like a calculated strategy to appeal to both Unionist and Nationalist voters, with a seemingly shift left to Nationalism.

“The Ulster Unionist Party negotiated the Belfast Agreement, so let’s get this one clear; it already sets out the framework for a border poll. It is based on the Secretary of State’s judgment that a majority would vote for Irish unification. To go beyond that, to stipulate or define a criterion or electoral thresholds, risks turning every election into a constitutional battleground. That’s precisely the toxic dynamic Alliance ‘claims’ to oppose, yet her proposal would entrench it.

“The truth is, once we start redefining the terms of the Agreement, we risk undermining the very foundations of devolved government. Instead of focusing on good governance, parties will be consumed by constitutional proxies. That’s not what people voted for in 1998, and it’s not what they want now.

“Alliance’s long-held ambition to reshape the constitutional conversation is becoming clearer. Their neutral position is not principled; it’s tactical, and Unionists see that now. They’re taking note; the middle ground is being redrawn, perhaps it’s time for those who lend votes to come home to Unionism. It’s time the ambiguity of Alliance on the constitution should be removed, and transparency revealed in what they are actually cooking up."