DUP leader Gavin Robinson has hailed unionist unity over the Drumcree parade as something to build on ahead of next year’s Assembly election.
He hailed the Parades Commission ruling to allow the completion of the Orange Order’s return parade along the Garvaghy Road for the first time in almost 30 years as a “significant moment”.
In his weekly email to DUP members, Mr Robinson commended Portadown District’s “patience, discipline and a commitment that has never wavered”.
Wider political lesson
He also described a “wider political lesson”.
“The solidarity shown in Portadown reflects something important: unionism is at its strongest when it works together,” he said.
It comes after the last Assembly election in 2022 saw Sinn Féin make history by being the first non-unionist party to top the poll, and Michelle O’Neill becoming the first nationalist First Minister.
Then, Sinn Féin (27 MLAs) finished two seats ahead of the DUP (25), which now has 26 Assembly seats following the co-option of Peter Martin after the election of independent Alex Easton to Westminster in 2024.
Open door to unionist leaders
At his party conference speech last week, Mr Robinson committed to working with other unionists to maximise unionist representation in the Assembly and local government.
“My door is open to every unionist leader – no preconditions, no ego and no grandstanding,” he said.
He referred to meeting with Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows over unionist co-operation, adding those discussions “are best conducted away from running media commentary”.
Speaking separately, Mr Burrows said he wanted to see a stronger unionist turnout generally to increase the number of unionist MLAs in the Assembly, and less concern about the “bun fight for First Minister”.
TUV leader Jim Allister said he had not been spoken to by Mr Robinson about unionist co-operation.
“Unionist co-operation should be about preserving the Union, it’s not about preserving any particular unionist party,” he added.
Learning from past mistakes
Mr Robinson went on in his message to DUP members: “Let me be clear: I am committed to doing all that we can to make cooperation work.
“Some within the unionist family argue that votes cannot be split in an Assembly election and that running candidates without a combined strategy carries no consequences.
“The evidence demonstrates the folly of that argument.”
Mr Robinson contended that unionism “rarely loses because it is outvoted”.
“It loses when it is out-organised,” he said.
“Take North Antrim. At the last Assembly election, unionist candidates secured more than four quotas in first-preference votes, yet only three unionists were elected.
“Four quotas, three seats. Alliance secured the final seat by just 288 votes. That seat contributed to Alliance having the numbers to take the Agriculture portfolio in the Executive.
“There is an irony in hearing some of the Alliance Agriculture Minister’s harshest critics coming from the very quarters whose electoral choices helped put him there.
“But this is not about settling old scores. It is about learning from past mistakes.
“That outcome was not the will of unionist voters. It was the cost of division, poor organisation and a failure to promote transfers across the unionist family.
“We cannot afford to repeat that mistake elsewhere. Unionist voters deserve a strategy that turns their votes into seats – and those seats into influence.
“Division is a choice. So is cooperation. I choose cooperation.”
