The Conservative Party today said it has moved to reassure a former Northern Ireland chairman who voiced concern over talks on renewed links with the Ulster Unionist Party.

Successful North Down candidate Dr Laurence Kennedy, who quit Northern Ireland for the United States, said the talks announced last week smacked of opportunism.

A former campaigner for the Tories to organise in NI, Dr Kennedy also said he did not believe the plans would attract support from across the religious divide.

A spokesman for the party said today, however, Dr Kennedy’s reaction had been based purely on Press reports “and since then we have been able to reassure him — although he still has reservations”.

The Tories have also rounded on DUP MLA Alastair Ross who said the joint talks called into question the Ulster Unionist’s position on grammar schools.

A statement said: The Conservatives in Northern Ireland support the retention of academic selection in Northern Ireland and support moves by the Grammar schools to put in place their own selection system in the absence of clear direction by the Department. It is our understanding that the UUP’s position is totally aligned with ours.

“Party policy for the rest of the UK has to reflect different situations in other regions. Unlike Northern Ireland most parts of GB do not have a selection based post-primary system. Therefore Party policy has to reflect different local circumstances.”