Order hosted secret unionist unity talks
DETAILS have emerged of secret UUP-DUP unity talks held before this month’s meeting between the parties in England.
However, unlike the talks in Hertfordshire almost two weeks ago which were brokered by the Conservatives, the December meeting was hosted by the Orange Order.
Last night a senior Tory said that his party was unaware of the meeting at the Order’s Schomberg House HQ.
The private talks – revealed on the BBC’s Hearts and Minds programme last night – reportedly discussed electoral pacts between the DUP and UUP.
When contacted by the News Letter last night, Tory Shadow Secretary of State Owen Paterson, who has been central to bringing the Conservatives and UUP together, said he was unaware of the meeting.
But UUP leader Sir Reg Empey last night played down the significance of the talks, telling the News Letter that he believed he had informed Mr Paterson of the meeting “in passing” as he did not consider it very significant.
The talks involved Sir Reg, UUP Assemblyman and senior Orangeman David McNarry, DUP leader Peter Robinson and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds.
News of the meeting follows the leaking of private talks held two weeks ago between the Conservatives, Ulster Unionists and DUP in Lord Salisbury’s mansion.
The UUP and Tories have repeatedly insisted that the Hatfield House summit was not called to discuss electoral pacts.
Although Mr Paterson last night declined to comment on the revelation, another senior Conservative member who has been a strong supporter of his party’s link with the UUP said that the talks were not the transformation to which his party had signed up.
The UUP-Tory link has come under increasing strain. Three potential Conservative candidates withdrew their names from the joint selection process, unhappy at the time being taken by the UUP to select candidates and news of the Hertfordshire talks with the DUP.
Asked if the Conservative-Ulster Unionist alliance would survive, he said: “It’s up to them. Reg can’t face both ways – it’s either us or the DUP.”
But Sir Reg said that his party had been invited in October by Orange Grand Master Robert Saulters to take part in a discussion about “matters of mutual interest” and accepted the invitation in good faith.
“It was very general and we listened to what he had to say. It was he (Mr Saulters) who requested the meeting.”
Although Sir Reg said that talk of a merger with the DUP was “hyping the situation”, when asked if he would rule out a pact with the DUP, the UUP leader was circumspect: “We have an arrangement already in place (with the Conservatives) and have no alternative plan to put on the table.”
On Hearts and Minds last night, DUP MP Sammy Wilson said that it was “perfectly natural for people who share the same aspirations and very often the same policies” to discuss working closer together.
Mr Wilson, who in his News Letter column on Monday called for serious consideration to be given to an electoral pact or merger between the DUP and UUP, added: “The Orange Order, who quite clearly would be in touch with grassroots unionist opinion, wanted these talks because it reflected what their membership has been saying about wanting unionists to work together.”
But Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey said: “This is an organisation that says it is simply religious and cultural…once again this exposes that the Orange Order is a very political organisation.
“People will see this as simply sectarian and anti-democratic.”
Earlier this week republicans accused the DUP of acting at the behest of the Orange Order by insisting that the issue of parading must be part of any deal.
