Tories and UUP: no merger on the cards

Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey has ruled out any formal merger between his party and the Conservatives.

But he insisted they can still forge political links.

An internal working group, which includes the party’s sole MP Lady Sylvia Hermon, has met three times in recent weeks and is to report later in the autumn.

But speaking after discussions with Tory leader David Cameron at the Conservative conference in Birmingham yesterday, Sir Reg insisted that the two parties would remain separate entities.

He said: “There have been headlines that these are merger talks but they have never been about that. We are looking at how we might co-operate in future elections and what vehicle we might use for that.”

We are looking |at how we might co-operate in future elections

Mr Cameron had been expected to make a reference to the ongoing discussions in his leadership speech this afternoon but that is now expected to be dominated by the international economic crisis.

Sir Reg said he did not know if the report will be finalised come the time of his own party conference at the end of this month, but he would be starting a “major process of consultation in the party” which could run alongside ongoing, detailed negotiations.

“What this is about is the security of the union going forward 30 or 40 years ahead. Is it likely to be more secure with Nothern Ireland being treated and seen as a political reservation where only local issues can be discussed or if we try to link more into the mainstream and national issues,” he said.

“For instance, every Irish government likely to be formed in the future, even though it accepts the Good Friday Agreement, will want a united Ireland. Is there any reason why a British government could move more from their current position of semi-neutrality? Why should a British government have no selfish or strategic interest in the province.

“As far as I am concerned we want to see the main parties committed to the union. In our discussions, which — given all that is going on — we were lucky still went ahead, Mr Cameron could not have been clearer in his commitment to a union including Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.”

Belfast Telegraph