Party launches town branch with election pledge

Northern Ireland- 11th January 2013 Mandatory Credit - Photo-Jonathan Porter/Presseye. Unionist Forum holds meeting at Westbourne Presbyterian Church on the lower Newtownards Road. The forum was set up in recent weeks due to the ongoing protests and public disorder regarding the flying of the Union Flag at Belfast City Hall. PUP leader Billy Hutchinson pictured after the meeting.

There was a launch night at Carleton Street Orange Hall in Portadown on Wednesday with party leader Billy Hutchinson and other officers including Johnny Harvey.

Mr Hutchinson said: “The time has come to break the DUP-Sinn Fein, two-party stranglehold on Northern Ireland politics and give working-class loyalists a voice.

“DUP are now a middle-class party and their inaction in the flags protest shows they have little empathy with grass roots unionism. We are a small party, but the lack of democracy in the two-party state has created a vacuum which we are prepared to fill.”

The PUP are also opening branches in Portadown, Armagh and Banbridge.

A local spokesman said the PUP’s aim was to “tap into the disillusioned unionist voter who sees the main pro-union parties are being remote from grass roots, hiding themselves in the ivory tower of Stormont”.

He added, “There is definitely a gap in the market in loyalist politics, especially in constituencies like Upper Bann and Newry-Armagh.

“We have studied the local scenario, and we should have a real chance in the so-called ABC (Armagh, Banbridge, Craigavon) council. That will be our first test in the area, and we will assess our results before making the next move. A main platform is the number of young people working for us, and that will have a main impact on our future.”

The spokesperson conceded that the party had taken a hit in the mood of Northern Ireland, post the Belfast Agreement, adding, “We have to bear part of the responsibility for that. Our organisation has been too Belfast centred, but now we are organising in around 20 centres in the province, and the four in Upper Bann and Newry-Armagh are the latest.” PUP has two Belfast councillors - John Kyle in Pottinger and Hugh Smith in the Court ward.

The Belfast City Hall flag protest has focused on the fact that so many young people in Northern Ireland are estranged from voting, and Mr Hutchinson attended recent protests in the area.

The Carleton Street launch will cover all four branches, and the meeting will centre on issues like parading, culture, what the PUP stands for, the youth ethos, and the Armed Forces Covenant.

The local chairman is Adam Carson, and the secretary is Robert Black.