Empey: Electoral Pact "Will Not Falter Or fail"

UUP leader Sir Reg Empey has insisted that his electoral alliance with the British Conservatives "will not falter or fail", after the UUP suffered several high-profile defections in the run-up to the British General Election.

The UUP's only MP, Lady Sylvia Hermon, and one of their senior Stormont MLAs, Alan McFarland, resigned from the party in opposition to the Tory link-up.

On Thursday, the pact came under further attack after a prospective South Antrim candidate branded the link-up a disaster.

UUP mayor of Antrim Adrian Watson claimed the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists New Force is more of a Tory takeover than a partnership.

Mr Watson failed in his bid to become the agreed candidate for South Antrim amid claims the Tories vetoed his candidacy over concerns about controversial statements he made about homosexuals and travellers.

"We've lost our only MP, an MLA and members," said Mr Watson. "We should abandon this nonsense, this gimmick with David Cameron," he said.

The councillor said he would be considering his future in the party in the coming days.

But Sir Reg Empey, who was re-elected as leader during the party's annual general meeting in Belfast on Saturday, has denied the Ulster Unionists were in crisis.

"I'm trying to look generations ahead," Sir Reg said.

"Unionists have sometimes been far too short-term.

"I want Unionists at the centre of Government of the United Kingdom and that is represented in Parliament and represented in the Government."

"I do not intend this project to falter or fail."

Sir Reg said he doesn't think more Ulster Unionists will quit.

"There could be individuals, who knows? But as far as I'm concerned the vast majority of our people took the decision, and I might say that every delegate in the North Down constituency who were present at our Executive supported our decision."

"We will resolve all of these issues before the election." But political commentator Peter Shirlow said the UUP might end up paying a heavy price for change.

"It seems that it was an attempt at a quick fix solution but it has come back to haunt them. It will definitely undermine the way in which they perform," Mr Shirlow said.

Lady Hermon, who resigned from the party over the UUP-Conservative electoral link-up, said the UUP should reconsider the pact after the election.

She is standing as an independent candidate in North Down, which she has represented for the last nine years.

"From my perspective, I was never going to be comfortable. I was never going to be able to take the Conservative whip at Westminster. That was just never going to happen," Lady Hermon said.

The Ulster Unionists selected Ian Parsley to contest her north Down seat under the joint UUP-Conservative banner.

"I think they're going to have to take stock after the General election and see, when the dust has settled, who is left standing and how this alignment can be taken forward," Lady Hermon added.

Despite the recent resignations, she believes the UUP will survive.

"I think the party membership will be looking to Sir Reg to give very clear leadership and a very clear message as to where we are going," she concluded.