'Ready to have real conversations' says Hamilton

He said: "If you want to solve a problem, first you have to admit there is a problem. Northern Ireland needs politicians who will tell them what they need to know, not politicians who pretend everything is alright and who just hope it will go away.

"The Conservatives and Unionists are ready to have the real conversations, and talk about the real problems facing all of us before the election. Not say one thing before polling day just to do the complete opposite after polling day.

"First Lets deal with the facts not the spin or scare mongering, David Cameron stated in a national newspaper on Monday: 'At no point have I or any member of my team stated or inferred we are targeting Northern Ireland for cuts, to suggest that we have is misleading and irresponsible'."

Mr Hamilton added: "The Conservative and Unionists believe that we need to rebalance the economy of Northern Ireland by boosting the private sector not reducing the public sector.

"We also recognise that this process will take time, perhaps as long as 25 years. The taxpayer funds around 70% of our economic activity. To do nothing would be irresponsible; but it would also be irresponsible to try and do things too quickly.

"The Conservative and Unionists are not going to risk the economy of Northern Ireland. We are in the business of creating a sustainable vibrant economy that provides jobs and prosperity for all the people. Cutting Gordon Brown's jobs tax and looking at turning Northern Ireland into an enterprise zone.

"There are tough choices ahead and we need to become less reliant on the state, All NI parties, including the DUP agree on this, as shown in the quote: 'The Northern Ireland economy also suffers from a number of structural difficulties. As I have said there is no doubt that the Northern Ireland economy is over reliant on the public sector ... An overlarge public sector also acts as a disincentive to the private enterprise which is needed to boost the local economy. At times Government is not the solution but is the problem'.

"So if any of the DUP has a problem with that, I urge them to take it up with the man who spoke those words – their party leader, Peter Robinson.

"Conservatives and Unionists are committed to ensuring that Northern Ireland is not left on the window ledge of the British economy. We are committed to growing our private sector. The DUP, it seems, no longer shares these values or wishes to pretend they don’t.

"The difference between us and the other parties in Northern Ireland is that they can only talk about these things; only the conservatives and Unionists can deliver."